HC Deb 16 May 1950 vol 475 cc1004-5
57. Sir John Mellor

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the understatement in Command Paper No. 7697 by £31,400 of the Air Ministry's Estimated Information Expenditure for 1949–50 was discovered; and how soon thereafter he issued a public correction.

Sir S. Cripps

The error was discovered a few days after Command 7697 was published in May, 1949. It was reported to the Public Accounts Committee in June. As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member on 22nd November, it was not my intention to publish a corrected White Paper at the time, but to show the corrected totals in this year's White Paper. This has been done.

Sir J. Mellor

As the right hon. and learned Gentleman well knows, the Public Accounts Committee does not report to the House until the late autumn. Will he say why he did not take earlier steps to make public the necessary correction?

Sir S. Cripps

Yes, Sir. It was because it was such a small one that it was not worth the trouble of printing another White Paper.

Sir J. Mellor

Is £31,000 such a small matter that it can be ignored?