§ MR. FLYNNI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the contract system for the uniform and clothing of the Dublin Police and of the Royal Irish Constabulary is under the control of the War Department; and whether, seeing that the organisation of the Royal Irish Constabulary is not under the control of the War Office in any other department, he will consider the advisability of instituting a clothing department in Ireland.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThe contracts for clothing for the Constabulary are made through the War Department. Contracts for the Dublin Metropolitan Police are made through the Chief Commissioner. In both cases, however, the cloth is required to undergo the War Department tests, and in both cases also the tailoring is done in Ireland. In answer to the second paragraph I must refer to my reply on Tuesday last to the question of the hon. Member for North Louth on the same subject.*
§ MR. FLYNNCould not the War Office deposit a specimen of the cloth in Dublin, so that Irish manufacturers may see it?.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURSamples of the cloth have been sent to Irish manufacturers.
* See P. 413 of this volume.