COLONEL NOLANI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, having regard to the fact that the records of the War Office and of the Committees of this House show that in past wars secret contracts have opened the door to corruption and to excessive profits for middlemen, the statement of the Financial Secretary that the price of horses purchased in Ireland during the past year is to remain a State secret forms a portion of the policy of secrecy in all contracts, or does this secrecy extend only to the price of horses or the price of Irish horses.
* LORD STANLEYThe purchase of horses is not made by contract, and it is not considered to the public interest to publish the prices while the present purchases continue.