§ Sir R. Glynasked the Prime Minister if it is intended permanently to continue the office of Minister of Defence; what has been the total expenditure authorised by the Minister of Defence since the creation of the office; and on what votes did expenditure items so authorised appear.
§ The Prime MinisterThe question whether the office of the Minister of Defence should be continued permanently cannot be settled apart from the general structure of our post-war defence organisation; and there has not yet been opportunity, owing to pressure of other business, to reach a decision on this long-term question since the present Government assumed office. As regards the second and third parts of the Question, the assumption by the late Prime Minister of the office of Minister of Defence for the purpose of maintaining general supervision over the conduct of the war, did not affect the responsibility of the three Service Ministers to Parliament for expenditure borne on Votes of their Departments.