§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON (Lanarkshire, N.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has now obtained information from the contractors who are using foreign granite at Haulbowline as to the relative cost of British and foreign granite.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONAdmiralty contractors are not under any obligation to state the cost of the materials used by them. It is not the practice, nor would it be desirable, to press them to give any such information.
§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this Question was put down in consequence of remarks which fell from him?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONNo. I was asked generally as to the difference between the prices, and not to obtaining the information from the contractors.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)The right hon. Gentleman invited me to put down this very Question.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONNo, not this Question. The previous Question asked me to cross-examine the contractors, which I refused to do.
§ MR. MOONEY (Newry)When the right hon. Gentleman is in communication with the contractors, will he endeavour to find out the names of the owners of the quarries from whom this foreign granite is obtained?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONI do not propose to enter into communication with the contractors.
§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSONWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of asking contractors to state when their tenders are put in whether or not they intend to employ foreign materials?
§ *MR. SPEAKERThat is quite a different Question from the one on the Paper.