§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for South Donegal, I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether the attention of the military authorities has 578 been called by contractors for the supply of various stores to the applications received by them from persons employed in the Royal Ordnance Factories and in the inspection and supply depôts for donations and subscriptions to clubs and other funds; whether the names of the writers of such letters and circulars have been reported by contractors to the authorities; what inquiries have been made at Woolwich, Birmingham, Enfield, Chatham, and Weedon, as to these organisations, and as to the management of these funds and clubs; and what steps the Secretary of State for War has taken, or is prepared to take, in respect to any officer connected with the buying, examination, and weighing of supplies for the Army who is proved to be concerned in such applications to contractors.
MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. WYNDHAM)I am only aware of one such case. When the attention of the War Office was drawn to it, investigation was made and it was arranged that two contractors who had contributed in reply to applications should prosecute a meat inspector at the Reserve Depôt at Woolwich by whom the application had been made, He was found guilty of obtaining money by false pretences and has since been discharged. Inquiry has been made throughout the factories, and no other case can be traced.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANThe hon. Gentleman has not answered the last paragraph.
MR. J. POWELL WILLIAMSI think the hon. Member, when he reads the answer, will see it covers the whole question.