§ MR. CHARLES MURRAY (Coventry)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether his attention has been called to the issue of forms of tenders for bicycles on terms which directly contravence the spirit and letter of an undertaking given by the late Financial Secretary to the War Office on 28th July, † and whether he will
† See The Parliamentary Debates, Fourth series, Vol. LXIII—page 301.202 suspend the issue of such forms of tender until he has given an opportunity to the firms interested of conferring with the Secretary of State.
MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS () (for Lord Stanley) Birmingham, S.I have examined with the Secretary of State the forms of tender recently issued for 130 bicycles required for further experiment in South Africa. I find that although tenders were issued to sixty-seven firms in conformity with my undertaking given on 28th July that there should be no monopoly, in certain particulars where interchangeability of parts is essential the tenders, which specify the manufactures of one firm, do not altogether conform to the instructions given. I have, therefore, ordered them to be amended, leaving it to the tendering firm to provide of their own manufacture parts interchangeable with those already supplied.