§ MR. BRANCH (Middlesex, Enfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will be prepared to inform the House, on the Ordnance Vote, of the dividend and bonus paid to their shareholders by the Birmingham Small Arms Company during the last fifteen years. I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a secret reserve fund has been formed by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, the expenditure from which would not be disclosed to the shareholders; and whether seeing that the factory receives Government orders, he proposes to take any action in the matter.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BUCHANAN,) Perthshire, E.The War Department has no information on the points raised in this and the following Question, which is not open to the general public. I cannot, therefore, undertake to supply the hon. Member with the information he asks for.