HC Deb 16 March 1925 vol 181 c1893

I come to my last point. Are our general administrative expenses and overhead charges too heavy in proportion to what we are spending on effective fighting services? The numbers of all ranks taken on Vote "A," for the Military Administrative Corps, that is the Royal Army Service Corps, the Royal Army Medical Corps, the Dental Corps, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Pay Corps, the Corps of Military Accountants, and the Army Educational Corps, show an increase of 144 men. After taking into account a small increase in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, in view of the transfer of the tank repair work to that corps, and the fixing of establishments hitherto provisional, it may be said that there is no material change in numbers. The ratio to the combatant corps is about 13 per cent. This may appear high, but There are important considerations to be taken into account. The numbers of most of these corps are conditioned directly by what is required to enable the necessary expansion in war to be made. It is no use having troops if you cannot feed them, move them, heal them, repair their weapons, and keep them fed with ammunition, armament and equipment, and do all these things in such a way as not to hamper their military operation. A continual watch is being kept upon the cost. of these administrative services, and on the purely military ancillary services. I cannot foresee any probability of any material reduction in the near future.