§ MR. MCKENNA (Monmouthshire, N.)On behalf of the hon. Member for Dewsbury, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that a statement has been made of the total value of surplus stores sold in South Africa after the conclusion of the war, in anticipation of the findings of the Royal Commission, he can give the details which make up the alleged total receipts for such sales amounting to about £6,000,000.
§ MR. MCKENNAOn behalf of the hon. Member for Dewsbury, I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the sums amounting in the aggregate to about £6,000,000, said to have been produced by the sale of surplus stores in South Africa after the conclusion of the war, have been or are about to be credited in any Army Appropriation Accounts; if so, in what year's accounts were they or will they be credited, and what are the amounts respectively for each year.
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTSums exceeding £6,000,000, the proceeds of sales in South Africa, have been brought to credit in Army Appropriation Accounts for the years 1902–3 and 1903–4. A Return is being prepared, and will be laid as soon as possible, giving detailed information.
§ MAJOR SEELY (Isle of Wight)Does that include the sales of captured stock?
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTNo; no figures so far given include the price of captured stock.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, Cleveland)asked whether the sum of £6,000,000 realised was in respect of the £8,000,000 worth of stores in question.
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTThat is some of the de ailed information which will be given as far as possible in the Return promised by my right hon. friend.
§ MR. MCKENNAI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is able to state the amount realised in respect of the sale of those surplus stores only which were estimated by Lord Kitchener in his cable of 18th June, 1902, to be of the value of some six or seven millions sterling.
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTMy right hon. friend is not able to state the amount realised by the sales of the particular supplies referred to in Lord Kitchener's telegram, because we have no exact details as to the basis on which the estimate was framed; but I can say that sums in excess of £6,000,000 have been brought to credit in Army accounts for sales for the years 1902–3 and 1903–4.
§ MR. MCKENNACan the hon. Gentleman say whether one penny of the amount which appears in the account for 1902–3 refers to the £6,000,000 or £7,000,000 mentioned by Lord Kitchener? Can the hon. Gentleman not give the House some estimate of what the stores referred to by Lord Kitchener, and those only, realised?
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTI can certainly say that one penny is included; but I should be very greatly astonished if, a3 a matter of fact, the Return does not include £5,000,000 or £6,000,000. It will be stated in the Return.
§ MR. WHITLEY (Halifax)Will the cost of stores imported into South Africa during the period covered by the Return be included? That is the vital question.
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTYes, Sir.
§ MR. MCKENNAI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the promised account of the sale of stores will include a detailed account of the specific stores, mentioned by Lord Kitchener in June, 1902, as being of the value of £6,000,000 or £7,000,000? What we 543 desire is an account of these stores separate from that of the stores supplied since.
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTAs far as is possible, the promised Return as to the stores contracts win be made in the form suggested by the hon. Member.