RESIDENCY, BAGDAD. (Hansard, 5 December 1922)

26. Lieut.-Colonel A. MURRAY
asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies under what Vote and heading or sub-heading was the sum of £167,000 for the new residency for the High Commissioner in Bagdad shown in the 1919 and/or later Estimates?

§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORE
No specific provision for this service was made in Estimates prior to the 1922–23 passed last Session. The expenditure by the Iraq Government prior to 31st March, 1921, of about £60,000 on the residency was in effect refunded to them in the general Grant-in-Aid on account of the civil deficit in Iraq to 31st March, 1921, under sub-head J1 of the Middle Eastern Services Vote (Supplementary) for 1921–22. The sum of £91,656 0s. 11d. in respect of military expenditure in 1920–21 and 1921–22 has been repaid to the War Office, and will be found charged in the Appropriation Account of the Middle Eastern Services Vote for 1921–22. The balance of approximately £15,000 was expended by the Iraq Government in 1921, but no refund in cash to that Government is contemplated. The amount will be set off against sums due by the Iraq Government to His Majesty's Government.

Lieut.-Colonel MURRAY
Was this expenditure not sanctioned by the Government in 1919? How then was it that no specific provision was made in the 1919 Estimates for it?

§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORE
I am afraid I do not know the answer to that question, but I am perfectly certain that in this case the Iraq accounts were divided between the India Office and the War Office, and until the Middle Eastern Services were set up, there was a great deal of confusion in these matters.

Lieut.-Colonel MURRAY
Was it actually hidden away in the War Office Estimates by the late Secretary of State for War?

§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY
Is it not a fact that when these Estimates were before this House in the last Parliament, we were told that the money was required for soldiers' barracks, and was it not in fact devoted to building this residence?

§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORE
Evidently, as I informed the House the other day, £167,000 has been spent on this residence.