§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make, a statement on (a) how the new office of management and budget in his Department relates to defence secretariate 1 and (b) whether, under the new reorganisation, the head of defence secretariat 1 still takes the minutes of the Defence Council and if he is still secretary to the finance, planning and management group.
§ Mr. ButlerThe defence secretariat divisions in the Ministry of Defence ceased to exist with the reorganisation of the Department on 2 January. The duties to which the hon. Member refers, and which were previously carried out by the head of defence secretariat 1, are now the responsibility of the head of the programme and budget division within the resources and programmes area of the office of management and budget. The new central organisation for defence is described in Cmnd. 9315, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.