§ MR. O'BEIRNEsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether he will place upon the Table of the House a Statement of the several Contracts entered into and still unfinished for work connected with or for the purposes of the proposed Fortifications for the defence of the Dockyards and Naval Arsenals, & c., of the United Kingdom and the Colonies, showing the date of each Contract; the nature of the work to be executed or material to be provided; the total amount to be paid; the extent of work executed or 113 of material already provided; the amount already paid on account of each existing Contract; and the date fixed in each Contract for its completion?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONSir, the best way to answer the Question of the hon. Gentleman is by reminding him and the House that originally the total Estimate for these works amounted in round numbers to £7,500,000. Of that amount up to the end of March last year rather more than £4,500,000 had been expended. I have no accurate statement of the exact amount expended up to the present time, but I would say that it is upwards of £5,000,000. I believe the hon. Gentleman himself will be able to calculate, he himself being, I apprehend, connected with one of the contracting firms, the amount which will be expended under contract. He is probably aware that of the whole sum of £7,500,000, all will be expended under contract with two exceptions—one, the amount paid for purchase of land; the other, about £500,000, which had to be expended, partly because of the difficulty in obtaining a supply of labour, and partly from the fact of the failure of one of the contractors. If the hon. Gentleman is desirous of receiving information on all those details, he should move for an unopposed Return, the Government would then give ns many particulars as could properly be furnished.
§ MR. O'BEIRNEbegged to say that he was not in any way connected with any of the contracting firms. He would move for the Return as suggested by the right hon. Baronet.