§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary to the Treasury, if he will say of whom the Treasury, given extensive powers under 429W many Acts of Parliament, now consists; whether meetings are held in cases in which the approval of the Treasury is required by statute; if so, by whom, and at whose instance convened; how many constitute a quorum; and whether minutes of the proceedings and a record of the decisions are kept?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Board of Treasury consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and four Junior Lords. The practice of holding formal meetings at regular intervals was discontinued in the middle of last century. (When it prevailed, one formed a quorum.) Meetings are now held only on special occasions, when the Board is generally convened by the First Lord. On those occasions minutes of the proceedings are of course kept. The Act 12 and 13 Vict., cap. 89, provides that warrants and other instruments, required to be issued by Act or otherwise under the hands of the Commissioners, must be signed by two of them.