HC Deb 29 July 1918 vol 109 cc77-84W
Mr. HERBERT SAMUEL

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action the Government have taken on each of the

ADMIRALTY.
Recommendations. Action taken.
Pars. 12–16.—The Royal Naval Division should be merged into the Army. The question of the merging into the Army of the Royal Naval Division is receiving the careful attention of both Departments concerned.
Par. 17.—In cases such as the change in the manufacture of naval cordite, the Admiralty, while being guided by views of their own technical officers, should also take advantage of experience and knowledge of experts not directly connected with the Admiralty. In the case referred to by the Committee the Admiralty did in fact consult a number of experts outside their Department before finally deciding the matter.
Par. 18.—Part of expenditure on charts supplied to the mercantile marine should be borne by the owners. The suggestion that part of the cost of supplying charts to the mercantile marine should be recovered by the Admiralty has been carefully considered, but for weighty reasons it has been decided that it is not desirable to make any charge for the loan of Admiralty chart sets to merchant ships.
Par. 19.—Stores should not be disposed of until other Departments have had opportunity of considering whether use can be made of them, and care should be taken that articles disposed of by sale are not directly or indirectly sold back to the Government. All lists of articles proposed for sale are referred to other Government Departments likely to be interested by the Admiralty Supply Departments in order that selection may be made of any items for further Government use. The system of transfers of all scrap material and useable articles, e.g., ships furniture fittings, etc., not required for the Royal Navy, to other Government Departments, is now so complete that only miscellaneous old stores of comparatively small value are sold to merchants, and the danger that articles disposed of by sale may be directly or indirectly repurchased by the Government appears to be eliminated.
Par 21.—Provision of fuel for the Fleet should be shown as a separate Vote. The description of Vote 8 of the Navy Estimate is "Shipbulding, Repairs, Maintenance, etc.," the three Parliamentary Votes being as stated by the Committee for "Dockyard "Work," "Personnel," "Matériel," and "Contract Work."
Fuel for the Fleet is clearly part of the material required for the maintenance of the Fleet.
The question of instituting a separate Vote for fuel is part of the larger question of the form of the National Accounts which is under the consideration of the special sub-committee of the Select Committee.
Due regard will be had to the present recommendation in considering any changes which it may be decided to make hereafter.

recommendations in the Fourth Report of this Session of the Select Committee on National Expenditure?

Mr. BONAR LAW

circulated the following statement:

Recommendations. Action taken.
On the present system the appropriation to Vote 8 of sugar freights in home-bound colliers is correct.
Par. 22.—Description of Subhead M of Vote 10 should be expanded. The description of Sub-head M of Vote 10, "-Stores, etc., to be purchased (net)," is that which appears in the abstract of the Vote (see Navy Estimates, 1914–15). A more detailed description of the Sub-head appears on page 134 of those Estimates, namely:
£
"Stores, tools, and plant to be purchased and cost of handling Deduct—
For stores to be used on works provided in other Sub-heads of this Vote, including percentage charge for handling stores and for depreciation of tools and plant
In future, subject to the observations on paragraph 21, the Sub-head in the abstract of the Vote will be expanded so as to read, "M. Stores, Tools, Plant, etc., to be purchased (net), excluding coastguard stations, etc."
OFFICE OF WORKS.
Par. 27.—Comments on the unnecessarily high standard of furniture provided, and particularly on the type of pedestal table supplied at a cost of £10 to £13 each. The Office of Works find that the criticisms of those who actually have to use the furniture supplied are generally to the effect that much of it is of too common a standard. As regards tables, pedestal tables at £10 to £13 each are supplied only to heads of Departments and other officers who have a large number of confidential papers, which must be kept under lock and key. The actual number of such tables supplied since the outbreak of war has been 2,500 only, as against 20,000 collapsible tables (for two persons) supplied at £1 each, and 20,000 leg writing tables (for two persons) at £3 10s. each.
The collapsible table was specially designed to meet the needs of the largely increased staff in various Departments, and, though demands are constantly received for tables of a superior type, the Office of Works has steadily refused to depart from the collapsible type, which has proved to be quite good enough for the purpose.
Par. 28.—Suggestion that it is unwise to spend money on new Employment Exchanges or alterations of old ones in munition areas. This matter is still under consideration between the Treasury, the Ministry of Labour, and the Office of Works.
Par 29.—Attention drawn to the rising cost of temporary buildings, and suggesting in particular that the excessive cost of a small building in the garden of 10, Downing Street, for the use of the Prime Minister's The provision of the building in the garden of 10, Downing Street, in the shortest possible time was stated to be imperative, and the Office of Works was not in a position to question the urgency. Every effort was, however, made to limit the cost, as far as possible, by inviting

Recommendations. Action taken.
Secretaries—caused by orders that the building was to be completed in seven days—might have been avoided if a few extra days had been given for its completion, so as to avoid continuous night and day work. tenders in the usual way instead of giving instructions to a contractor to proceed on a prime cost basis.
Par. 31.—Attention drawn to the net loss incurred on ploughing up grass land in Richmond and Bushy Parks, and suggesting the advisability of not continuing these experiments. On the 19th December, 1916, the Prime Minister made a very grave statement in the House of Commons to the effect that "every available square yard must be made to produce food." The First Commissioner immediately took steps to consult the best agricultural expert available as to the advisability of ploughing up portions of the parks. This expert selected portions of both Richmond and Bushy Parks, and distinctly advised that they were both suitable for cultivation, although he pointed out that there was considerable risk in starting the operations so late, and that the only hope of success was to put the ploughing in hand at once, which was, in fact, done.
The financial aspect of these operations is not the only one to be considered. The First Commissioner considered that it was advisable for the Government to set an example to grass land owners to produce food. The position was very critical at that time.
The experiments cannot be judged by the results of one year only. The year 1917 was in many respects unfortunate on account of weather conditions, but the prospects of the current year are pre-eminently favourable, so far as can be seen at present.
The Office of Works consider it unwise to discontinue the cultivation of food in the parks merely because the first year did not show a financial success, especially now that considerable money has been sunk in the cultivation of the soil, purchase of implements, and fencing. Different kinds of crops, however, are being tried in both parks, more particularly at Richmond.
The Treasury have asked for detailed accounts to be prepared covering the whole period of cultivation operations.
MINISTRY OF FOOD AND BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES.
Par 38.—A clear delimitation of functions should be made between the Food Ministry and the Board of Agriculture by way of agreed memorandum or otherwise, in order that divided responsibility and unnecessary expenditure of public money may be avoided. On agricultural matters, co-ordination of policy between the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food is now obtained through the work of the recently-formed Joint Agricultural Committee. Such problems as the fixing of prices of agricultural produce necessarily involve the consideration of both Departments, and no absolute division has been found possible

Recommendations. Action taken.
Joint Committees of officials also consider all Orders and other matters affecting the three Departments of Agriculture and the Ministry of Food.
As regards Fisheries, a Joint Committee of the two Departments has been set up by means of which questions of mutual interest can be discussed together. Analogous arrangements have been made for collaboration between the Board's officers resident on the coasts and the local officers of the Ministry of Food.
MINISTRY OF BLOCKADE.
Par. 42.—Particulars of the expenditure incurred in the operations of the Ministry of Blockade should be communicated to Parliament at a proper time. This recommendation is noted, but it is not thought that it will be possible to communicate details of the expenditure to Parliament during the War.