HC Deb 27 July 1897 vol 51 cc1219-20
SIR CHARLES CAYZER (Barrow-in-Furness)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the East Indian Railway Company, whose railway was built by British capital, under Government guarantee, and of which the Government are now the owners by purchase, have recently purchased 7,708 tons of steel rails and fish plates from the Maryland Steel Company, of America, and that the same are to be shipped direct from America to Calcutta; whether he is aware that 3,000 to 4,000 tons of steel rails are now being shipped by the steam ship "City of Dundee" from Baltimore to Calcutta; whether he is aware that the tender of the Maryland Steel Company of America is nearly one pound per ton lower than any British tender; if he will state the quality and price per ton of steel rails and fish plates in each of the tenders received; and, whether some of the other Indian guaranteed railways make it a condition of their tenders that the goods shall be of British manufacture; and, if so, why the East Indian Railway Company cannot also do so?

* THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing)

It has been the practice of the India Office to give the preference to British manufactures provided the difference in price and quality is not great. In this case I am informed that the tender accepted by the Board of the East India Railway Company appeared to be in all respects a satisfactory one as regards quality, and that by accepting in its place the lowest tenders of a British firm they would have incurred an additional charge of over £6,000.

* SIR C. CAYZER

asked the noble Lord whether, if he could not give the House the information asked for in respect to each of the tenders received, he would give the particulars to the Commercial Intelligence Committee appointed by the President of the Board of Trade to ascertain the best means of assisting British trade in its competition with foreign trade?

* LORD GEORGE HAMILTON

I may say that the tender of the Maryland Steel Co. was about £36,500, delivery in Calcutta, whilst the lowest British tender was about £35,500, delivery at all English port; and I am informed that the quality of the rails was equal.

MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.)

asked whether it was customary to read to the House the figures relating to contracts entered into by public Departments?

SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)

asked whether the foreign tenderers undertook to conform to Trade Union regulations and to the provisions of the Factory Acts?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order ! Notice should be given of that Question.

* LORD GEORGE HAMILTON

said that he believed that it was not customary to give the figures of the different tenders but that was not the question in this case. He was asked regarding the lowest British tender and the tender of the American firm.