HC Deb 20 March 1900 vol 80 cc1319-20
MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, if he will sanction a Return showing the comparative outlay in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively on foot of Government stores and supplies purchased since the beginning of the current financial year, April 1st, 1899, to present time, in view of the importance of this information in its bearing on the question of the financial relations between Great Britain and Ireland, which is down for discussion on an early date.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I am unable to give the information in a detailed or complete form, but such information as I have is at the disposal of the hon. Gentleman. I cannot give it for the year, but only since the war began. I am informed that the value of clothing ordered from Ireland amounts to £113,000 out of a total of £580,000. The value of Irish orders for linen is £20,000 out of £84,000, and of cordite £9,166 out of a total value of £117,000. I ought to say that is for the Army alone, and that the Irish share of cordite for the Army and Navy together may be regarded as about one-third of the total supply. The only remaining item of importance is stout, which has been entirely ordered from Ireland.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)

I wish to ask, can the right hon. Gentleman give similar figures with regard to the neglected and benighted country of Scotland, which, I am afraid, has not received much attention.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Well, Sir, Scotland never puts in the same kind of claim as Ireland. As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, we take a different view of the relations between the various parts of the United Kingdom.

MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)

Will the right hon. Gentleman say how much Scotch whisky is ordered?

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND

Are we to understand that of all the millions spent in the course of this war the total sum expended in Ireland has been £130,000?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

No, Sir. The hon. Gentleman is to understand nothing but exactly what I have told him—namely, that of a particular supply ordered the amount sent has been what I have stated. We cannot order guns and armour plate in Ireland, because they are not made there.

MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)

Nothing but men from Ireland.

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)

Is it not the fact that the cloth is made in England, and all that Ireland does is to stitch up the clothes?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I should think that is not so, but I must not be subjected to cross-examination. I have collected as rapidly as I could such information as was available, and I cannot answer supplementary questions.

MR. T. M. HEALY

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell us how many generals come from Ireland?

[No answer was given.]