HC Deb 14 March 1893 vol 10 cc18-20
MR. JAMES WILLIAM LOWTHER (Cumberland, Penrith)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury what is the number of lead pencils annually supplied to the various public Departments of the State; what proportion of such pencils is derived from Home and what from Foreign manufactories; what are the average prices of the Home made and Foreign made pencils, respectively; and are the Foreign made pencils superior in quality to those of Home manufacture?

MR. MACFARLANE (Argyll)

Before the right hon. Gentleman answers, may I ask if he can at the same time state the number of pieces of India rubber used, and the weight.

MR. FLYNN

And also the number of quill pens used.

SIR J. HIBBERT

Hon. Members will not expect me to answer such questions at a moment's notice. The number of ordinary cedar black lead pencils bought by the Stationery Office during the current financial year is about 8,330 gross, costing £2,181. No orders for pencils are given except to firms having offices or agents in England; but no instructions having been given either by the Government or Parliament that purchases should be limited to articles made in this country, it is considered immaterial where they are made. Moreover, it is obviously impossible to say how many of them are of Home and how many of Foreign manufacture without examining each parcel of pencils, and that, again, is obviously impossible, as most of them have already been issued. The average price paid during the year was 5s. 3d. a gross. The pencils specially selected for the Postal and Telegraph Service are of German make, costing 4s. 6d. a gross, and it has been proved, after a test of a set of different pencils, with the distinguishing marks obliterated, that it is not possible to get an English made pencil so suitable for these purposes for the price now paid.

COLONEL H. VINCENT

If the Government believe it to be immaterial where pencils are made, how is it possible to carry out the Resolution of February 1891 as to the payment of fair wages in connection with Government contracts; and is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the pencils supplied to Ministers and Members of this House bear the inscription" V. R. Civil Service: Bavaria."

MB. T. M. HEALY:

Are the pen- knives used for sharpening those pencils all made in Birmingham.

MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)

And where is the machinery obtained which is used in the manufacture of the penknives.

SIR J. HIBBERT

I am sorry that I cannot answer all these questions off-band. I do not consider that the Resolution of the House of 1891 applies to this question at all. As long as this is a Free Trade country, we have a right to obtain our goods at the cheapest cost.

MR. J. W. LOWTHER

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman has any means of ascertaining the wages paid by the Bavarian manufacturers of these pencils.

SIR J. HIBBERT

I do not know whether it is possible to obtain that information, but I do not think it has much to do with the question.