The House continues to be interested only in defence questions.
Sir John Simon's Budget for next Tuesday is quite forgotten, and the best debates these days are amongst Members in the Lobbies and the Smoking Room. The Ministry of Supply issue remains to be fought out. Rumour has it that the head of the new Department which will be set up, its activities confined exclusively to the War Office, will be a business man and not a politician. That is unlikely to be very popular because, in the first place, there is a growing opinion that nothing less than a full-scale Ministry of Supply is needed, and in a time like the present not to make use of Mr. Churchill's great qualities is scan- dalous; his increasing popularity in the country is much remarked upon at Westminster. Secondly, the activities of the Industrial Panel have not encouraged Members to rely upon business men. Likewise, Sir John Anderson's work is coming in for criticism more and more. It may be unfair, but his ineptitude at question-time is rapidly persuading the House that his previous great reputation in other spheres does not warrant his inclusion in the Cabinet and his control of one of the principal services at the present time.
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