§ 8. Major Sir Edward Cadoganasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General on the Army Appropriation Account, of the sums granted by Parliament for Army services for the year ended 31st March, commenting adversely on excesses of expenditure in building Militia camps and other works services, he will state who was responsible for this waste of public money; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent a recurrence of this extravagance?
§ 10. Sir Waldron Smithersasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor-General on War Office Expenditure; will he take immediate and drastic steps to prevent a recurrence of such a state of affairs, and to take disciplinary action against those responsible?
§ Captain MargessonThe Comptroller and Auditor-General's Report will shortly be considered by the Public Accounts Committee. But I welcome the opportunity of calling attention to some misconceptions both in regard to the cost of the Militia camps and to what the Comptroller and Auditor-General has said about them. The Comptroller and Auditor-General points out that against a gross estimate approved by Parliament of £20,000,000 for Militia Works Services, the actual expenditure was of the order of £.22,750,000. Statements have been freely made in the Press and elsewhere that the expenditure was some £80,000,000. This is not the case and the interests of the State have not been served by extravagant and inaccurate statements of that kind. It is not the case that the Comptroller and Auditor-General comments adversely on the expenditure. He reports the facts to the Public Accounts Committee which will be able, in due course, to cross-examine the Accounting Officer and form their own conclusions. The House must realise that the waste in 674 connection with the Militia camp programme, which, as I have stated, has been greatly exaggerated, was due not to the fault of any individual but to conditions obtaining at the time, and, in particular, to the fact that the Works organisation of the War Office was not then designed to deal with a sudden expansion scheme of this magnitude. The House can be assured, however, that steps have been, and are being, taken to remedy, so far as war-time conditions permit, such defects in organisation as obtained in 1939, and to ensure that, in the future, the Department will be able reasonably to cope with any sudden demand upon it however big.
§ Sir H. WilliamsDo I understand the right hon. and gallant Gentleman to say that the statement of £80,000,000 contained in the report of the Select Committee on National Expenditure is in-accurate and exaggerated?
§ Captain MargessonIf my hon. Friend will look at the Comptroller and Auditor-General's Report—I think it is in paragraph 26—he will see the figures which I have used in my answer.
§ 13. Mr. Thorneasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General in connection with the accounts rendered to the paymaster by the commanders and the Army accounts; and what action he intends taking in the matter?
§ Captain MargessonThe report to which my hon. Friend refers deals with the financial year ended 31st March, 1940, and therefore covers the period of expansion that followed mobilisation, when many commanding officers and newly recruited pay office staffs were unfamiliar with the system of Army accounts. In these circumstances, errors and omissions were, I am afraid, inevitable. The position has, however, been much improved in the last 12 months, as all concerned have become more familiar with their duties. Instructors in pay duties have been visiting units for many months past, and Command Schools of Instruction will start next week for regimental officers and' other ranks.