§ 16. Mr. BRACEasked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will place upon the Table a complete list of the Admiralty contracts given out during the months of July, August, September, and October, indicating the firms to which contracts have been allocated and, where possible, the firms to which contracts have been sub contracted?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)To prepare a Return such as is asked for by my hon. Friend would involve an amount of labour which I should deprecate adding to the burden already borne by the Admiralty. Further, such a Return would necessarily be incomplete, as there are a number of confidential contracts, particulars of which it would not be in the public interest to quote.
§ Mr. BRACEIn what way has the House of Commons an opportunity of going into the contracts made by the Government, or can it keep some check upon what is being done during the War?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAWe are following our usual practice. I do not think the House and the country would wish that certain classes of contracts should be stated.
§ Mr. KINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the late Mr. Gladstone described the present practice as wasteful and extravagant?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThat surely could not have been the present practice.