§ Mr. Manderasked the Prime Minister whether he will state the present position with regard to the proposals of the committee appointed to consider reductions in the expenditure of the League of Nations and the attitude of the British Government with regard to the proposals as a whole?
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§ Mr. ButlerThe Budgetary Economies Committee was appointed in accordance with a resolution of the Assembly of the League of Nations last September. The resolution, which was supported by the delegation of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, stated that the Assembly considered that it was essential, with a view to maintaining to the fullest possible extent the activities of the League of Nations, to provide the necessary economies in the budget
The committee recommended that in order that the desired economies should be made in the budget for 1940, the reorganisation and reduction of the staff of the Secretariat and of the International Labour Office should be undertaken forthwith, so that the charges for compensation payable to the staff whose appointments were to be terminated, should so far as is possible fall on the 1939 budget. The Secretary-General and the Director of the International Labour Office are now proceeding with this task. His Majesty's Government see no reason to believe that the necessary reorganisation and simplification of administration will result in any restriction of the beneficent activities of the League as at present carried on.
The other economies recommended by the committee fall to be considered by the Assembly of the League in September next, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at the time. His Majesty's Government are accordingly unable to express any opinion on these proposals at the present stage.