§ MR. WEDGWOOD (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the opportunity to tender for Admiralty requirements is strictly limited to a few leading manufacturers with large powers of production who are on what is known as the Admiralty list; whether he is aware that a source of supply from smaller makers is thereby rendered unavailable, and that both prices and quality suffer; and whether he is aware that it is the practice of the Secretary of State for India and the boards of most of the Indian railway companies to obtain their supplies of all railway plant, rolling stock, materials, etc., by open advertisement; and whether the Admiralty will also reconsider their practice in this matter.
§ THE SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (MR. Edmund Robertson,) DundeeIn the case of most articles it is the practice of the Admiralty, in common with other great purchasing Departments, to restrict invitations to tender to firms known to be capable of meeting requirements, both as regards quality and punctuality in delivery. All applicants are admitted to the Admiralty list who satisfy the Department as to their capability, and the list is only confined to the leading manufacturers in cases where requirements cannot be met except by 1020 contractors possessing special plant and resources. In all other cases small firms are admitted if they come up to the required standard. It is understood that the India Office follows substantially the same procedure as the Admiralty in purchasing similar articles, and it is only in the case of railway materials—which the Admiralty do not purchase to any considerable extent—that the India Office resorts to advertisement. The Admiralty procedure is directed towards obtaining the widest competition compatible with the punctual delivery of satisfactory supplies. With this object, the procedure is from time to time reviewed, but no sufficient reason is seen for departing from the present practice.