§ MR. LEWIS (Flint Boroughs)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, between the 24th of February and the 18th June, 1894, contracts were entered into by the Admiralty with certain contractors for the delivery of sis torpedo boat destroyers for sums amounting in the aggregate to £227,535, the dates of delivery for the several vessels falling between the 3rd December, 1894, and the 30th March, 1895; had any such vessels been delivered on the 31st March, 1897; how many of such vessels have been delivered up to the present time, and at what respective dates were the vessels in question delivered to the Admiralty; how much has been paid to contractors in respect of their construction, and what proportion of the amount voted for that purpose remains in the hands of the Admiralty; what is the total amount of the penalties for delay in delivery incurred under the terms of the contracts; and how many of such penalties have been enforced, and what is the amount recovered; and whether, in deciding upon the acceptance of tenders in contract work of this kind, the Admiralty regard time as an important element, and whether, if one contractor undertakes the delivery in a shorter period than another, the difference in time may, in the estimation of the Admi- 644 ralty, be an equivalent for paying a much larger price?
§ THE SECERTARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. W. E. MACARTNEY,) Antrim, S.Contracts were entered into for six torpedo boat destroyers for delivery as stated in the Question. Only one of these vessels, the Zebra, has been delivered—namely, on the 22nd October, 1897. £196,672, including extras, has been paid to contractors, the balance now outstanding being £32,329. The penalties incurred amount to £81,915. The question of remission of penalties has been considered only in the case of the Zebra, in which they have been remitted. Time is an element in the acceptance of tenders, and exceptional cases may occur where earlier delivery justifies the acceptance of a higher tender, especially where time is the governing condition of the contract.
§ MR. LEWISWill the right honourable Gentleman lay on the Table of the House a copy of the ordinary form of contract—including the penalty clauses?
§ MR. MACARTNEYI should like to have notice of that Question.