§ MR. ARTHUR LEE (Hants, Fareham)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will enumerate the various articles supplied by contractors for the use of the Navy which are required to be of British manufacture or material.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON,) DundeeThe list of articles is too long for enumeration, but no alteration has been made in the regulations which obtained under the late Board of Admiralty. No machinery is obtained from abroad with the exception of certain machines of special design which cannot be obtained from British sources, and all steel and other materials are required to be of British manufacture, except in the case of certain brands of. foreign steel better adapted to special methods of manufacture in particular cases. As regards other manufactured articles, tenders are invited only from the actual manufacturers, and no foreign firms are admitted to the Admiralty list 81 except for specialities exclusively manufactured abroad. In the case of contracts executed for the Works Department, the contractors are not bound to use British materials.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEWill the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to let me have privately a list of the articles?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONCertainly.