§ 46. Sir William Davisonasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the lack of appreciation of our responsibilities with regard to Imperial Defence which prevailed throughout the country and among Members of Parliament prior to the war and was largely responsible for our state of unpreparedness, he will arrange for an annual Report to be submitted to Parliament by the Committee of Imperial Defence, briefly setting out such responsibilities and stating the esti- 29 mated time required to provide any weapons which might be considered necessary for the effective discharge of our obligations.
§ The Prime MinisterFor good or for ill I expect we shall have to depend upon the responsibility of Ministers to Parliament in this as in other grave matters.
§ Sir W. DavisonWould it not be desirable, in view of the great pre-occupation of all Governments, that an annual report should be made by the Committee of Imperial Defence so that Parliament, at any rate, would know the position and the required time to provide any necessary equipment?
§ The Prime MinisterThe Committee of Imperial Defence has no fixed membership. It consists of those persons, political and military, who are invited by the Prime Minister to take part in its deliberations. I certainly should not be prepared to support a system in which naval, military or air force officers would be invited to pronounce probably against the wishes of the Government of the day. That would conflict with the whole foundation of our Parliamentary system.
§ Rear-Admiral BeamishIs my right hon. Friend aware that I asked a similar Question some time ago and that unless something of this sort is done the tendency for the Defence Ministries to diverge rather than co-operate is quite certain? Will my right hon. Friend exclude from his references to Members of Parliament my right hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) and the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes?