§ Mr. Prittasked the Secretary of State for War (1) what staff, civilian and military, is employed by the Army Burean of Current Affairs; on what establishments that staff is borne; by whom, and on what authority, appointments to that staff are made; what is the present rate of expenditure of the bureau; and what authority the director has to incur-expenditure in relation to the work of the bureau or to that of the Directorate of Army Education;
(2) when the Director of the Army Bureau of Current Affairs was appointed and for what period; what is his salary and what are the-terms of his appointment; whether the appointment is a whole-time one and what activities he is allowed to engage in outside his duties as director; and whether he is a civilian or a military officer?
§ Sir J. GriggThe staff of the Army Bureau of Current Affairs at present comprises one Director, one junior civil assistant (female), four temporary male clerks, Grade III, all of whom are civilians, and one lieut.-colonel—A.A.G., four majors—D.A.A.G. and D.A.D.W., one captain, G.S.O.III. The Bureau forms part of the establishment of the Directorate of Welfare and Education, and appointments to the staff are made by the War Office in the normal way. The Director of the Army Bureau of Current Affairs is a civilian, and he was appointed on 8th July, 1942, for an indefinite period. The salary is £1,200 per annum, and the appointment requires full time service and is terminable at one month's notice. So far as outside activities are concerned, he is governed by the normal rules for the Civil Service. The authorised estimate for the expenditure of the Bureau in the present financial year is £63,000. Within this amount and subject to the normal financial control the Director has authority to spend specific sums on the different approved activities of the Bureau. The Director of the Army Bureau of Current Affairs does not incur expenditure in relation to the work of the Director of Army Education.