§ LORD HENEAGEMy Lords, I rise to ask the Under Secretary of State for War by whose authority the Accountants Department of the War Office have refused to sanction the payment of the yearly rents due for rifle ranges in Lincolnshire in 1907–1908; and to state 1055 why the Territorial Association should be asked to pay rent for the use of ranges during a period before they were legally constituted in 1907–1908. I think a few words of explanation of this most extraordinary question are necessary. In Lincolnshire we had three Volunteer battalions, and as they were reduced to two the colonel of one of the battalions had to retire and the adjutant was compelled to go back to his regiment. The consequence was that they desired as speedily as possible to square up the accounts for last year. Among the items which they paid, was, as usual, eight guineas each for the use of two ranges during the military year 1907–1908. To their astonishment the accounts were sent back with these two items disallowed, and they were told that they were to get the sixteen guineas from the Territorial Association. I received information of this a few days ago, and I refused to allow the matter to go before the Finance Committee because I did not think it a proper payment to be made out of the Territorial funds. The Accountant-General was asked why payment was disallowed, and he gave as his reason that Lady Day was 6th April, and that as this was subsequent to 1st April the Volunteers had expired and the Territorial funds were liable for the payment of this amount. I thought this a most extraordinary reason to give. One might just as well say that a person who took a house on 1st April for the season was bound to pay the previous quarter's rates because the demand was sent in after he had taken the house. I cannot think that the Secretary of State will for a moment countenance this quibble, if not sharp practice. I have raised this question because I think it is one of some consequence. This is the first case, but unless attention is called to it it will be made a precedent. I am bound to say that I think the amount of money allowed to the Associations is not anything like sufficient for what we shall find necessary to meet our own expenses; and if we are to have the same amount of correspondence from the War Office and from the staff of the command as has taken place recently it will be quite impossible for one secretary to do the work. As to the payment in question, I do not think the auditor appointed by an Association to look into the accounts at the end of the financial year and to see how the 1056 Association had spent their funds under the financial provisions of the Memorandum sent out in March, would pass an expenditure for rent for the use of ranges during a period before the Association was legally constituted.
LORD LUCASMy Lords, this case is not really so black as the noble Lord has painted it. It is a mere matter of bookkeeping, and unless it was done in this way you would have a somewhat complicated sum to work out as to how much rent was due by the Association and how much was due by the Volunteer corps. There was also the fact that there might be considerable difficulty owing to the accounts not being in when the Volunteer accounts were being squared up. It was, therefore, decided, in order to simplify matters, that any charge for ranges or other matters which fell due after March 31st should be paid by the County Associations. The County Associations will not suffer in any way, for any expenditure not coming within the year for which they are responsible will be paid back to them, and as the Associations are entitled to draw money from the War Office on account, it will not be necessary to wait till the end of the financial year in order to recoup themselves.
§ LORD HENEAGEIt simply comes to this, that we are asked to pay out of our funds for the current year debts incurred last year, and which ought to have been paid by the State last year. Why are we to advance this money and to wait to receive it until after the auditor has passed the accounts twelve months hence?
LORD LUCASThis is a mere matter of book-keeping, and as I have explained, the Lincolnshire County Association can draw money from the War Office on account. I can assure the noble Lord that, whatever items in the Association's expenditure may possibly be questioned in the future, this certainly will not be one of them.