§ MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that while, under an existing agreement of 1892, certain persons have contracted to remove furnace and forge ashes from Portsmouth Dockyard and to pay 1s. per ton for them, and under a contract of February, 1906, contractors agreed to pay 2s. a cartload for these ashes, persons have in fact for some time past been paid 1s. 1d. per ton to remove them; and whether he can state who is the officer responsible for enforcing the contracts referred to.
I beg also to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he can state the grounds upon which the contract for the erection of additional buildings, estimated to cost £40,000, at the Boys' Training Establishment at Shottes, instead of being offered to public tender, was given to the contractor for the original building, and carried out as an extra at an increase of 5 per cent. on the original contract rates; 450 and whether this procedure is in accordance with the usual practice of the Department.
§ MR. LAMBERTAs both these Questions are now under review by the Public Accounts Committee, it would be contrary to the usual practice for me to make any statement.