§ SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I bog to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if, in orders given out by the Admiralty, efforts have been made to insure that all goods ordered shall, as far as possible, be of British and Irish manufacture?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. W. E. MACARTNEY,) Antrim, S.The general principle upon which the Admiralty orders are given is to take goods of British and Irish manufacture in preference to similar goods of foreign manufacture. The cases in which goods of foreign manufacture or origin are taken are extremely few in number, and limited to a certain class of articles only produced 1325 abroad or under foreign patents. The Admiralty has been successful in cultivating the manufacture in this country by British firms of some articles which had previously been produced or manufactured only in foreign countries.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTAfter that satisfactory answer, may I ask the hon. Gentleman if he takes care not to be ensnared by agents of foreign firms resident in this country?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!