§ MR. BOORDasked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Whether large 104 orders that have hitherto been executed by the Royal Laboratory Department, Woolwich, have recently been given to Sir W. Armstrong and Co. Limited, for instance, an order for upwards of six hundred powder cases at £18 10s.; and, whether the price quoted for these cases by the Royal Laboratory Department was £13 17s. 4d.; and, if so, whether he will explain the reason for giving preference to a private firm under such circumstances?
§ MR. BRANDThe facts are not correctly stated in the Question of the hon. Member. It is not a fact that large orders that have hitherto been executed by the Royal Laboratory Department have recently been given to Sir William Armstrong and Co. (Limited). With regard to the order for upwards of 600 cases at £18 10s., which the hon. Member instances, I should say that this is a now service for a new class of gun, and these particular cases were designed by Sir William Armstrong and Co., in connection with their hydraulic system of loading. The price quoted by the Royal Laboratory Department for these cases is not correctly stated in the second part of the Question. The sum named by the hon. Member is below the estimate.