§ 3. Mr. Ian Winterbottomasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence how far his Department is responsible for answering Questions relating to the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes.
§ Mr. BirchMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War answers Questions arising out of the policy of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, unless such matters are the sole concern of either the Admiralty or the Air Ministry.
§ Mr. WinterbottomDoes the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that in view of the large sums of money spent by the serving men and women in these Institutes on the facilities, or lack of them, which are provided, it is highly desirable that one Department should be responsible for answering Questions on this subject, instead of making it necessary for hon. Members to play ring-a-roses with the other Service Departments in order to get an answer, which is the case at the moment?
§ Mr. BirchI agree that there may have been misunderstandings, but the principle is, and always has been, that the War Office answers. My noble Friend's Department is not set up to deal with a great amount of administrative detail, and I think it will be generally agreed in the House that it would be wrong if the Department was made to do so.