SIR THOMASDEWARI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number and value of contracts for rails and railway material placed by the London County Council with foreign makers during the last five years, and what percentage of these contracts were secured by German firms.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralParticulars of this nature do not, in the ordinary course, come to the knowledge of the Board of Trade. I have, however, been supplied with a statement on behalf of the London County Council, which I will read to the House. "The total value of all contracts let by the London County Council for tramway works is about £2,000,000, of that amount £150,000, or ½ per cent., represents foreign work. The Council began by restricting the tenders for this work to British firms, but owing to the limited number of tenders and the high prices, it then adopted open competition, and, as the result, all materials are now being obtained in this country and at much lower prices. Altogether the Council estimates that it has saved, in 564 rails alone, about £40,000 by its policy of open competition. No contracts have been sent to Germany."