FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY.

HL Deb 03 December 1942 vol 125 cc421-2

LORD WINSTER

My Lords, I beg to ask the question standing on the Paper in my name.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the position of the First Lord of the Admiralty is analogous to that of the Secretary of State for War in so far as Sir James Grigg has stated that he is only responsible for administrative, organizational and structural matters affecting the Army, the Defence Minister and War Cabinet being responsible for what is operational and strategic.]

VISCOUNT CRANBORNE

My Lords, the noble Lord's question is, I think, founded on a misapprehension. The word used by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for War was that he was "mainly" responsible for Army administration and organization. The relationship between the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and the three Service Ministers was explained by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister at some length in his statement on the war situation on February 24 last. I am sending the noble Lord the relevant extract: he will see that the Prime Minister said that the constitutional responsibilities of the Service Ministers remain.