§ 48. Lieut.-Colonel HILDERasked the Lord Privy Seal if, with a view to securing a practical and consistent policy of economy in the public service, the Government will consider the advisability of appointing a permanent Committee on administration which would have the power of supervising the administrative systems of all public Departments, of suggesting labour-saving methods, and of preventing overlapping, such Committee to have authority equal to that of the Auditor-General, but exercising its check before, and not after, expenditure, is incurred?
Mr. YOUNGEffective machinery for all the purposes referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend already exists, and I do not consider that the creation of a. separate body of the kind indicated is either necessary or desirable.
§ 50. Lieut.-Colonel HILDERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any information as to the working of the Standing Committee on Administration which was set up in the United States when Mr. Taft was President; is he aware that this Standing Committee was able to effect some very great economies, because of its power to supervise the work of all Departments and to point out where there was overlapping of functions and where more economical methods could be adopted; and will he consider the advisability of setting up a Committee on the same lines in this country?
Mr. YOUNGThe financial and administrative system of the United States differs so widely from that of the United Kingdom that it is not possible to make a comparison between isolated elements in either system. I am in no sense suggesting any criticism of the American system when I say that the machinery in existence in this country is fully effective for the purposes referred to.