HC Deb 17 July 1923 vol 166 cc2027-8
18. Brigadier-General SPEARS

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War the date of the Report of Lord Weir's Committee; and when the Army Council propose to take it into consideration?

20. Mr. PRINGLE

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War which recommendations of Lord Weir's Committee have been adopted and what savings will be thereby effected; and which recommendations have been rejected and what savings would have been effected if these recommendations had been accepted?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Lieut.-Colonel Guinness)

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for East Leicester (Captain A. Evans) on the 12th July.

24. Brigadier-General SPEARS

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will consider publishing or making a statement to the House concerning those parts of the Report of Lord Weir's Committee which, while not giving information on questions of national security, contain recommendations of economies in administration, especially in view of the fact that it was not considered against the public interest to publish the similar recommendations as to economy of the Geddes Committee?

Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESS

No, Sir; as indicated in previous replies, it is not possible to consider issuing a statement on the Report until the Report itself has been fully considered.

Brigadier-General SPEARS

Does not the right hon. Gentleman remember that he answered certain suggestions that were made on the Army Estimates by saying that they would be dealt with by the Weir Committee, and does he not think it is due to this House that those points should be made known to the House?

Mr. MACPHERSON

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that if the Report itself is not published, there will be a statement dealing with the Report?

Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESS

The decisions of the Army Council will obviously be made known to this House, and ample opportunity for criticism will then arise. As to the publication of the recommendations, that is not a departmental matter, but as it was a Treasury Committee it is for the Prime Minister to decide what method he may eventually adopt.