§ MR. JOHN WARDI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his Department invite tenders for the supply of earthenware and china goods and utensils from any British earthenware and china manufacturers, or whether only firms of middlemen are placed upon the contractors' list for this purpose by his Department; and if he can say in what other branch for the supply of war material manufacturers are prohibited from tendering, and the tenders of middlemen only are invited or received.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE,) HaddingtonIt is an established rule of the War Department to avoid dealings with middlemen and to limit orders for manufactured articles to actual manufacturers as far as possible. It is open to any manufacturer to ask to be invited to tender, and all such applications are most carefully considered. No competent and satisfactory manufacturer is prohibited from tendering for any article.
§ MR. JOHN WARDWould it not be better to submit these tenders to open competition, so that all manufacturers may have an opportunity of tendering?
§ MR. HALDANEI do not think the effect would be any more satisfactory. Manufacturers can apply for permission to tender. We scrutinise the list, and everybody who is satisfactory is allowed to tender.