§ 41. General CROFTasked the Minister of Munitions if he will state the amount of money spent by his Department on the new coprolite works—on plant, wages, buildings, and railways; what is the value of the coprolite produced; and whether the contractors are paid on a percentage of the amount expended and what this sum amounts to?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of MUNITIONS (Sir Worthington Evans)The initial expendi- 1116 ture on plant, wages, buildings, and railways was £31,279. The value of coprolites produced to date is negligible, but deliveries are anticipated to commence at the end of the present month at a rate which will, it is hoped, shortly rise to 1,200 tons per week, and that a total production of some 80,000 tons, of a value of, approximately, £280,000 will be secured. The contractors are paid an annual rental of 25 per cent. per annum on the value of plant necessarily used in production, plus 8d. per cubic yard for excavation and washing, with an additional sum in respect of increased wages awarded since the date of the contract. There are no percentage charges for profit or overhead charges.