§ 40. Colonel ASHLEYasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office why some 600,000 pairs of Army boots, awaiting inspection to see what percentage are repairable, are lying in the open at the White City, most of them without any covering of any sort; and will he take steps to stop this deterioration of public property?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe boots were stored in the open because other accommodation for them is not available. I am informed that the greater part are now covered with tarpaulins, and the covering of the remainder is in progress. Sufficient tarpaulins were not available earlier owing to the large demands from overseas.
§ Colonel ASHLEYWill the officer responsible for this great waste of public money be dismissed at once?
§ Mr. FORSTERI can give no assurance of that kind until I have inquired more closely into the circumstances.
§ Colonel ASHLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman believe that no place could be found to store these boots in all the Government buildings in that district? Can he not give us a pledge to take drastic action?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am not going to give any pledge, and my hon. and gallant Friend knows that he has no business to ask for one.
§ Mr. ROSEWill he make inquiries into the culpability of any officer in this matter and act accordingly?
§ Mr. FORSTERCertainly. That is what I said in answer to the question. My hon. and gallant Friend must agree that I could not give any such undertaking until the whole of the circumstances of the case had been properly inquired into. If, as the result of such an inquiry, the necessity of taking drastic action arises it will be taken.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIf found guilty will this officer receive the "Order of the Boot"?
§ 41. Colonel ASHLEYasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what money was received for the sale of old Army boots repaired and sold for civilian purposes between 1st April, 1918, and 31st March, 1919; and what regrading and repairs cost during the same period in wages alone?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe proceeds of the sales of old Army boots received during the financial year 1918–1919 amounted to £389,128. Of this amount £18,620 represents the proceeds of sales of repaired boots. The wages bill for the boot depots at Southall and Irlam during the above period amounted to £1,381 and £3,204 respectively. These amounts include the pay of the clerical staffs at these establishments. These depots deal exclusively with boots which are unfit for further wear by the Army. In addition, there are other boot depots which deal mainly with the repair of boots for the Army, but at which a certain proportion are found unfit for further Army use and are disposed of by sale to civilians or as old leather. No separate account has been kept of the wages paid in connection with the disposal of boots from these depots.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Sir J. N. GRIFFITHSWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of sending some of these boots to Roumania where they are urgently required?
§ Mr. FORSTERMost of these boots are not very useful.
§ 42. Colonel ASHLEYasked why £20,000 worth or more of leather passed for Army purposes is now lying deteriorating in the open at the White City; and what steps he proposes to take to protect the taxpayer?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am informed that no leather passed for Army purposes is lying in the open at the White City.
§ 43. Colonel ASHLEYasked what technical knowledge of boots the supervisors, sorters, and graders of the old boot department at the White City possess to enable them to carry out a satisfactory grading?
§ Mr. FORSTEROf the four supervisors, three have been practical bootmakers and repairers for many years. The fourth was trained at the White City under the department's late chief technical advisor. The graders learnt their work at the White City, having been trained by one of the supervisors. The sorters have no technical knowledge. Their duties are confined to sorting the boots into their patterns and sizes, for which no technical training is necessary.