§ 38. Major GLYNasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office the approxi- 1075 mate sum of money that was paid during 1917 and the first six months of 1918 by order of the War Office, either direct to the manufacturers or through the Ministry of Munitions, for glass and china insulators, telegraph and telephone cables, and telegraph poles; whether he is aware that miles of telephone and telegraph cables, both buried and air line, still remain untouched in France and Flanders; whether he is aware that in some cases, however, local farmers are tearing down the wire for the purpose of making fences; whether the War Office have thrown up any of this material for sale by the Disposal Board; and, if not, for what reason have articles of this nature been bought during the financial year ending 31st March costing the Post Office Department £76,000 for insulators, £660,000 for telegraph and telephone cables, and £37,000 for poles?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONI am making inquiries into the first three parts of this question, and will write to the hon. and gallant Member later. As regards the last two parts, certain material of the nature mentioned has been thrown up for sale by the Disposal Board after the General Post Office had taken what it required.
§ Major GLYNWill the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries immediately to find out, first, how much stuff is going to waste in France—whether there are not miles of cable rotting in France at the present time under War Office arrangements?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONI am making inquiries into the specific points brought forward by the hon. and gallant Gentleman, and if he wants me to make others, he had better put them down.