§ Mr. Goughasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he has taken to integrate the military and civil responsibilities of his Department overseas.
§ Mr. RipponMy Ministry's staff engaged on civil services abroad are being integrated as fully as possible with my new overseas regional organisation announced last December, and a greater degree of delegated authority is being90W given with the object of providing a speedier service. I have accordingly decided to close as regional offices the offices at Beirut, Delhi and Lagos which hitherto have been concerned with work for the Foreign and Commonwealth services. Maintenance and very small new works will continue to be dealt with by officers stationed locally in these or other places or sent to deal with requirement as they arise. Major new works will continue to be handled from London.