50. Captain BENNasked the Prime Minister whether the Government is pre- 1206 pared to accept responsibility for the proposals contained in the Admiralty memorandum on the Geddes Report?
§ 52. Rear-Admiral SUETERasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Government has approved the Admiralty memorandum criticising the Geddes Committee's Report?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs I stated in the course of the Debate on Monday last, the views expressed in the Admiralty Memorandum are not to be taken as the considered decision of the Government upon the whole question. That decision has not yet been given.
Captain BENNHow is it possible for the First Lord of the Admiralty, who is a member of the Cabinet, to issue a statement of Admiralty policy which has not got the approval of the Cabinet?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThat is an easy question to answer. The First Lord of the Admiralty was on the Atlantic at the time the Memorandum was issued.
§ Rear-Admiral SUETERDid the right hon. Gentleman himself approve of the Memorandum before it was issued to the Press?
§ Major M. WOODAre we to understand that the First Lord of the Admiralty does not approve of the Memorandum?
Sir CHARLES SYKES(by Private Notice) asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the criticism made by the Admiralty upon the facts and figures of the Geddes Report which deal with the Navy is admitted by the Committee on National Expenditure to be justified, and whether any representations have been made to him by the Committee on the subject?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Sir Robert Horne)I have received the following letter from the Chairman of the Committee:
My dear Chancellor,Our attention has been drawn to a communication from the Admiralty which states that in our Report on Navy Estimates there are errors of fact and faulty calculation.1207We do not pretend that in the whole course of our Report, covering such a wide and complicated field, minor errors may not have crept in, but we have scrutinised our Report carefully, and we cannot detect the errors alleged in the Admiralty statement.If therefore you are in any doubt as to the facts which we have given in our Report on the Navy, or are unable to reconcile our calculations, we should be glad to give our authority for facts and to substantiate the calculations we have made.
§ Yours sincerely,
§ (Sd.) ERIC GEDDES,
§ Chairman of the Committee on
§ National Expenditure."
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSWould it not be fair to this Committee, which the right hon. Gentleman set up, that all the adverse reports upon their Report should be sent to them, and that they should be asked to express their views upon them?
§ Sir R. HORNEThere is difficulty about following that course, for the reason that no Commission that has ever sat before has been subjected to such criticism. They have given their decision, and, so far as they are concerned, the matter is at an end. Of course, it devolves upon the Cabinet to inquire into the figures and the calculations they have made.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that, when aspersions are cast upon a Report of this very important Committee and are read by the whole of the public, it necessarily damages the Committee in the eyes of the public; and would it not he fair to them that, as these adverse reports have been published, they should be submitted to the Committee for their comments?
§ Sir R. HORNESo far as I know, the Committee has no desire to publish any reply, but, of course, it devolves upon the Government to deal with the Report as they find it and to inquire into the information which has been given to them by the Departments.
[The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Balfour) entered the House, on his return from the Washington Conference. He took his seat on the Government Bench between the Leader of the House and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, greeted with prolonged cheers from hon. Members in all parts of the House.]