§ MR. FLAVINI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether His Majesty's Government have ordered or given a contract for 30,000 saddles, or any other number of saddles, for use in South Africa, to a German manufacturing company, or to any other foreign contractor: and, if so, will he state what were the conditions to be complied with, and whether home firms were asked to supply the saddles required.
* LORD STANLEYAll supplies of saddles which can be obtained in this country have been ordered, where it is impossible to obtain necessary supplies within a given period from home makers, orders have been given elsewhere. I cannot give any details, but all saddles are carefully inspected, and no orders to the extent suggested by the hon. Member have been given.
§ MR. FLAVINHow many more hundreds of thousands of saddles will be ordered before the war is over?
§ [No answer was given.]