HC Deb 11 March 1893 vol 9 cc1704-5
MR. JESSE COLLINGS (Birmingham, Bordesley)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if there is any department of the Enfield Factory corresponding with the Bagot Street Works, Birmingham? As the matter will be referred to in the forthcoming Debate, perhaps the right hon. Gentleman can answer the question now?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I do not quite understand what the right hon. Gentleman means. If he will kindly put his question down for Monday in a somewhat more explicit form I shall be happy to answer it.

MR. JESSE COLLINGS

I am sorry to have had to put it down for to-day. It was my intention to put it down for Monday, thinking the Debate would come on then or later. The terms in which I have put the question are understood by the officials connected with the factory.

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I have consulted the officials, and they do not understand the question.

MR. JESSE COLLINGS

I am sorry to trouble the right hon. Gentleman, but an answer is absolutely necessary for the purposes of this Debate. Bagot Street is a repairing shop, and the question is whether there is a corresponding works at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I can give a rough and ready answer to that inquiry; Bagot Street is mainly, if not entirely, a repairing factory. There may be some repairing work done at Enfield, but I do not understand that there is any repairing branch there in the sense that Bagot Street is a repairing branch.

MR. E. STANHOPE (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)

Is not the difference that the charge for the Enfield Factory is borne on the Ordnance Vote, while that for Bagot Street is borne on the Store Vote?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

That is not the question on the Paper. I do not imagine the right hon. Gentle- man cares which Vote bears the charge. All he asked was whether or not there was at Enfield a department corresponding with the Bagot Street works. I have answered that.