§
Order read for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [2nd December]:
That a Select Committee be appointed to examine the current expenditure defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament for the Defence Services, for Civil Defence and for other services directly connected with the war, and to report what, if any, economies consistent with the execution of the policy decided by the Government may be effected therein."—[Major Sir James Edmondson.]
§ Question again proposed.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§
Ordered,
That the Committee do consist of 32 Members.
§ Committee accordingly nominated of Mr. Ammon, Sir Alfred Beit, Sir Ernest Bennett, Mr. Bossom, Mr. Brooke, Mr. Burden, Mr. Butcher, Mr. Cooke, Mr. Culverwell, Viscountess Davidson, Sir 742 Ralph Glyn, Sir Arnold Gridley, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Keeling, Mr. Kimball, Mr. Kirby, Mr. Leach, Mr. Lipson, Sir Adam Maitland, Mr. Mort, Mr. Oldfield, Mr. Price, Mr. de Rothschild, Sir George Schuster, Colonel Sir John Shute, Mr. Silkin, Mr. Turton, Sir John Wardlaw-Milne, Sir Harold Webbe, Mr. Graham White, Sir Herbert Williams and Mr. Woodburn.
§
Ordered,
That seven be the quorum.
§
Ordered,
That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit notwithstanding any Adjournment of the House; to adjourn from place to place; and to report from time to time.
§
Ordered,
That the Committee have power, in cases where considerations of national security preclude the publishing of certain recommendations and of the arguments upon which they are based, to address a memorandum to the Prime Minister for the consideration of the War Cabinet, provided that the Committee shall, whenever they have exercised such power, report the fact as soon as possible to the House.
§
Ordered,
That the Committee have power to appoint Sub-Committees and to refer to such Sub-Committees any of the matters referred to the Committee.
§
Ordered,
That the Committee have power to appoint a Co-ordinating Sub-Committee to review, co-ordinate and direct the work of the investigating Sub-Committees, and to refer to such Sub-Committee any of the matters referred to the Committee.
§
Ordered,
That the Committee have power to give such Co-ordinating Sub-Committee power to appoint such Sub-Committees as may seem to them desirable and to refer to such Sub-Committees any of the matters referred to the Committee, to alter the order of reference of any Sub-Committee, to direct two or more Sub-Committees to sit jointly, to nominate Members of the Committee for service on any Sub-Committee, to appoint the Chairman of any Sub-Committee, to discharge the members of any Sub-Committee and to appoint others in substitution for those discharged: Provided that any action taken by the Co-ordinating Sub-Committee in the exercise of any of the powers referred to in this Order shall be invalid unless approved by the Committee within twenty-one days.
§
Ordered,
That every Sub-Committee, including any Co-ordinating Sub-Committee, so appointed have power to send for persons, papers and records; to sit notwithstanding any Adjournment of the House; to adjourn from place to
743
place; and that every Sub-Committee shall report any evidence taken by them to the Committee.
§
Ordered,
That the quorum of any Sub-Committee so appointed shall be two except that the quorum of any Co-ordinating Sub-Committee so appointed shall be three.
§
Ordered,
That when two or more Sub-Committees have been directed to sit jointly, they shall constitute a single Sub-Committee, whose quorum shall be composed of two members of each of the Sub-Committees so directed to sit jointly."—[Major Sir James Edmondson.]
§ The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.