HC Deb 13 March 1894 vol 22 c153
SIR A. HICKMAN (Wolverhampton, W.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether Les Usines and Fonderies De Baume and Marpent Company, Limited, of Belgium, have supplied 10,000 axle boxes to the Indian State Railways; and whether he will use his influence with the Department to induce them in future to procure their supplies of such articles in this country?

* MR. H. H. FOWLER

So far as I have been able to ascertain, no order for axle boxes for Indian State Railways has been given to the Belgian Company mentioned in the first part of the hon. Member's question. As regards the latter part of it, I am informed that according to the existing practice of the Department a general preference is, for business reasons, always given to firms in this country.