§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Prime Minister whether he will define the duties of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Minister of State; will he say, in the case of a dispute arising in the areas controlled by them who has the deciding voice in referring the matter under dispute to the War Cabinet; and have these two Ministers power to override decisions taken by the naval, military and Royal Air Force commanders?
§ Mr. AttleeThe appointment of a Supreme Commander-in-Chief in the South-West Pacific has necessitated a review of the functions assigned to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. My reply is, therefore, confined to the duties of the Minister of State. So far as concerns the Minister of State, the hon. Member will find the answer to the first and third parts of his Question in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 9th July last to the right hon. Member for Devonport (Mr. Hore-Belisha), a copy of which I am sending him. That answer defined the duties of the Minister of State and explained that the Minister had authority in matters not concerned with the conduct of operations, and that his appointment would not interfere with the existing relationship between the Commanders-in-Chief in the Middle East and the Service Ministers. As regards the second part of the Question it has not been necessary to lay down any fixed procedure. So far as I am aware76W the occasion has not yet arisen for any such dispute to be referred to the War Cabinet.