HC Deb 30 November 1916 vol 88 cc501-2W
Mr. KING

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can make a statement giving the chief reasons for the increase of the daily average war expenditure during the period since the last Vote of Credit was passed by this House?

Mr. McKENNA

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the statement to be made shortly on the introduction of a further Vote of Credit.

Sir E. CORNWALL

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sums to date out of the moneys voted by the House of Commons for the prosecution of the War have been expended by Government Departments other than the War Office, the Admiralty, and the Ministry of Muni- tions; and will he give in each case the amount and the name of the Department concerned?

Mr. McKENNA

My hon. Friend will, I am sure, understand that it is undesirable to publish a complete list of the services which are provided for out of the Vote of Credit other than the War Office, the Admiralty, and the Ministry of Munitions. Neither is it possible to give figures of audited expenditure up to date. I may, however, say that the total sums which have been expended out of Votes of Credit on services other than the War Office, the Admiralty, and the Ministry of Munitions, and exclusive of advances to our Dominions and to our Allies in the period from the commencement of the War up to the 7th October last, when the Prime Minister made his last statement, are approximately estimated at £179,000,000. This figure represents slightly over 6 per cent. of the whole expenditure out of Votes of Credit, and it includes a very substantial sum in respect of advances for the purchases of meat, sugar, etc., which advances will be recoverable. The Appropriation Account of the Vote of Credit for the year 1914–15 (House of Commons Paper No. 24 of 1916) gives particulars of the expenditure for that year, and the Appropriation Accounts for subsequent years will be in similar form.