§ MR. CROOKSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether an order in the Royal Laboratory has been suspended to enable the transfer of men to the Royal Carriage and Gun Factory; and will he, having regard to the state of unemployment, arrange for men to be taken on to complete the orders within the specified time, or does he intend to place the Royal Laboratory Order with the outside trade.
§ MR. HALDANEThe men who were temporarily transferred from the Royal Gun and Carriage Factory to the Royal Laboratory are being sent back to the former factory as work can be found for them there. The Royal Laboratory is above the approved establishment, and must therefore be gradually reduced by wastage. Any work that cannot be done by the existing staff must be placed with the trade, which has had a very small proportion of the work for the Army this year.
§ MR. CROOKSIs it a fact that there are 4,000,000 rounds of ammunition less in store this year?
§ MR. HALDANEI have no knowledge of it.
§ MR. CROOKSI will put the Question down.