HC Deb 22 March 1895 vol 31 cc1684-5
MR. G. WHITELAW (Lanark, N.W.)

I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if the quality of the teak timber supplied to the dockyards of recent years has been found unsatisfactory, and that, in consequence, it was considered desirable to attempt to make the terms of tender for the requirements of 1895–6 much more stringent; if the Department, having decided to abandon the stringent terms, have placed the contract on modified conditions with the same contractors who supplied the unsatisfactory timber complained of last year, without asking the trade for fresh tenders on these modified conditions; and what difference there is, if any, between the price paid by the Department and the lowest offer received by them for supplies on ordinary market conditions?

THE CTVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. E. ROBERTSON,) Dundee

The quality of Teak imported of late years has not been so good as previously, and this year the Admiralty specification was made more stringent. The result has been that not a single offer to the specification has been made, and it became necessary to accept the best offer outside the specification, log by log, which was that of the same firm as received the contract last year. The difference in price between the lowest offer for a market cargo, which was quite unsuitable in every way, and the price accepted was 64s. a load.