32. Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSasked the Prime Minister how many meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence and of its Sub-committees, respectively, took place during the year 1921?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Standing Defence Sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence, which, under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council, has provisionally been performing the functions of the Committee of Imperial Defence, held 19 meetings between its inception in May, 1921, and the end of the year. Apart from this, 103 meetings of Subcommittees of the Committee of Imperial Defence were held in 1921. To these should be added the following meetings, which dealt with matters closely connected with the work of the Committee of Imperial Defence and with which members of the Committee and its staff were accordingly associated:
| Cabinet Committees | … | 14 |
| Imperial Meetings | … | 44 |
| Total | … | 58 |
| Grand Total | … | 180 |
Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSDid the Committee of Imperial Defence ever meet as such under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI do not think it met under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister during the year 1921. In consequence of the pressure of work, the Standing Committee was created under the presidency of the Lord President of the Council (Sir A. Balfour).
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI do not think I ought to be asked to say that. All 29 Committees of Imperial Defence are treated as confidential. I do not think there has been more than one instance where the names have been given.