§ Mr. MANDERasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is proposed to make the Empire Marketing Board subject to Treasury control?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENThe Government have carefully considered the question of establishing normal Treasury control over the expenditure of the Empire Marketing Board, but they have decided that in view of the special constitution of the Board the change would not be desirable. Steps were, however, taken last year to give Parliament more control 429W over the Board's expenditure by confining the annual Estimate to the actual requirements of the year, and showing details of the proposed expenditure in an appendix to the Estimate. A continuous association of the Treasury with the work of the Board is assured by the fact that the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a member of the Board itself and of its principal Committees and has the right to send a deputy in his absence. The Public Accounts Committee in their second Report of 1929 expressed satisfaction at the arrangements made.