HC Deb 26 July 1939 vol 350 cc1444-6
37. Mr. Alexander

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the attention of the Board of Admiralty has been directed to the recent Report of the Committee of Public Accounts; whether he has any statement to make in regard to the excess expenditure on additional accommodation at the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham, and on the magnetic survey vessel "Research"; and whether it is now proposed to treat as urgent the necessity for improving financial control within the Admiralty?

Mr. Shakespeare

Yes, Sir. I think it would be unusual for me to make any statement on the two specific matters referred to in the question before these have formed the subject of comment in the Treasury Minute on the Report of the Public Accounts Committee and the Minute has been considered by that Committee. As stated in the Treasury Minute of 20th December last, a committee, over which I am presiding, is engaged upon examining the Admiralty arrangements for financial control in the light of the observations of the Public Accounts Committee. My committee has recently consulted representatives of the Treasury, and I hope that its report will be completed within a very short period.

Mr. Alexander

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there is great uneasiness about this financial control in the case of the Admiralty; and is it not very strange that the committee over which he is presiding have not consulted the Treasury at all between last December and a few weeks ago? What is the reason for that great delay?

Mr. Shakespeare

The problem required a good deal of investigation, and on three occasions something intervened — the mobilisation, all the preparations in connection with the Military Training Bill, and the submarine loss. I assure the right hon. Gentleman that the report will be completed at the earliest possible moment.

Mr. Alexander

May I ask for an immediate assurance that there will be no further case of failure to consult the Treasury about heavy excess expenditure such as occurred in the case of the"Research," which seems to have been a very grave omission?

Mr. Shakespeare

That is one of the points which arise out of our inquiry, and I hope that a case like that will not occur again.

Lieut.-Commander Fletcher

Has the case of the "Research," in which the estimates were enormously exceeded without consultation with the Treasury, been before the committee over which the hon. Gentleman tells us he is presiding?

Mr. Shakespeare

Yes; we have gone with very great care into each of the cases mentioned by the Public Accounts Committee. Our report goes to the Treasury, and the Treasury, I presume, will make their comments to the Public Accounts Committee upon our report.