HC Deb 26 November 1919 vol 121 cc1809-10W
Mr. MARRIOTT

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether the Treasury has taken steps to obtain from the Departments (other than the War Office and the Admiralty) forms of estimates and accounts prepared on the basis recommended by the Select Committee on National Expenditure (Seventh Report of Session 1918);

(2) whether he is aware that the Admiralty held out the expectation that they would be prepared by February, 1919, with a form of estimate, based on the principles recommended by the Select Committee on National Expenditure, and that the estimates of 1920–21 would be prepared in accordance therewith; whether these expectations will be fulfilled; and, if not, why this cannot be done?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

As I informed my hon. Friend on the 12th instant, it will not be practicable to adopt the new form of Estimates generally in 192O-21. In particular there are, I understand, special reasons connected with the recasting of Admiralty store accounting arrangements which make it impossible to adopt a new form for estimates in 1920–21,