The Ninth Report of the Select Committee on National Expen-
diture (White Paper 121), published on Monday, concurs in the general opinion that Parliamentary control over expenditure is inadequate. The House Committee on Supply " has the name but none of the methods of a Committee ; if the Estimates were never presented, and' the Committee of Supply never set up, there would be no' noticeable difference." Large Estimates go through under Closure without even the appearance of discussion, just as they were brought in ; and Treasury oontrol is not a substitute for Parlia- mentary • control. We have here a frank though belated official raeognitien of notorious foots. The Select Committee's remedies are to make the Ministry as a whole responsible for increased (or decreased) expenditure ; to appoint two or even three small Standing Committeee on Estimates, to consider and report upon economies which do not raise questions of policy ; to have free voting on reductions, which must no longer imply a vote of no confidence in the Government ; and to provide that the Treasury shall cease' to be itself a spending Department. The kernel of any
proposals for control of expenditure is to make the Government responsible : their sense of responsibility has been so weakened by the war that it has almost ceased to exist.
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