§ 10. Mr. WALLACEasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the total quantities of khaki cloth, flannel, hosiery, and blankets held by the War Office at home and abroad, and the number of finished garments in cloth and flannel, including any such cloth and flannel invoiced by the War Office to makers-up; what quantities of cloth and garments are required as reserves, and upon what basis such reserves are estimated; and what quantities under the above categories have been declared surplus to requirements by the War Office since the Armistice?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Forster)I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate the figures in the Official Report. I hope that decisions on various important points of policy which are expected to be reached shortly will enable us to make available for disposal large quantities of the goods referred to in the question.
§ The following is the statement referred to in the above reply:
| STOCKS AT HOME. | |
| Materials— | |
| Quantity. | |
| Greatcoat cloth | 1,798,502 yds |
| Serge (for jackets) | 5,325,693 yds |
| Tartan (for trousers) | 5,109,625 yds |
| Whipcord and other material for breeches | 2,016,234 yds |
| Flannel (ordinary grey) | 2,567,792 yds |
| Serge (blue hospital) | 644,065 yds |
| Made-up new garments— | |
| Greatcoats (dismounted) | 337,087 |
| Greatcoats (mounted) | 362,226 |
| Jackets (Service dress) | 800,502 |
| Trousers (Service dress) | 1,782,332 |
| Pantaloons (Service dress) | 1,085,100 |
| Shirts (flannel) | 4,448,286 |
| Drawers (woollen) pairs | 2,752,854 |
| Vests (woollen) | 1,541,079 |
| Socks (pairs) | 14,131,630 |
§ There are also 3,744,000 blankets in store in addition to those in the possession of troops. The latter, however, are in 1072 many cases not in a really serviceable condition, and in process of being re placed from those in store.
§ The stocks abroad are in the main only sufficient for the current requirements of the troops, and are not included in these figures.
| QUANTITIES OF CLOTH, ETC., Declared Surplus to Requirements by the War Office since the Armistice up to 8th August, 1919. | |
| Cloth— Khaki, black, grey, etc. | 5,451,858 yds. |
| Flannel | 21,737 yds. |
| Cotton material, various (Silesia, corduroy, twill, etc.) | 28,820,882 yds. |
| Hosiery, drawers, vests, shirts, etc. | 2,169,737 |
| Cotton, white | 1,000,000 reels |
| Worsted, mending of sorts | 4 tons |
| Cotton material, unserviceable | 318½ tons |
| Woollen material unserviceable | 3¼ tons |
| Waterproofs unserviceable | 16 tons |
| Blankets | 76,214* |
| Finished garments, trousers, greatcoats, jackets, oil skins, etc. | 1,585,240 |
| Suits, discharged soldiers | 8,000 |
| Tent duck | 5,000,000 yds. |
| * In addition a large number of blankets and hospital stores have been reported en bloc without details by hospital authorities for disposal in situ. |
§ Mr. WALLACECan the right hon. Gentleman tell me the quantities?
§ Mr. FORSTERIn round figures the quantities are: Greatcoat cloth 1,798,000 yards, serge for jackets 5,325,000 yards, tartan for trousers 5,109,000 yards, whip cord and other material for breeches 2,016,000 yards, ordinary grey flannel 2,567,000 yards, blue hospital serge 644,000 yards.