§ MR. BARNESI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, if he can supply the House with particulars as to the cost of war materials and stores produced at the Woolwich Arsenal, and the cost of similar materials and stores purchased from private contractors.
§ MR. HALDANEThe cost of stores produced at Woolwich Arsenal is given
§ Factories and the trade, there is no agreement with private contractors, nor are there any fixed proportions governing the allocation of various stores, but for guns there is a general understanding with the trade that as a rule the proportion shall be one-third for the Ordnance Factories and two-thirds for the trade. Also that the rough forgings for the largo guns allotted to Woolwich shall be ordered from the steel trade. The allocation of orders is dealt with each year on the amount of the orders required for the year.