§ 80. Sir J. CORYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions if he will give full details of the purchases of war stores by the Belgian and French Governments from the British authorities since the Armistice, indicating both quantities and values?
Mr. HOPEOwing to the length of the answer, I will, with the hon. Member's consent, circulate the reply in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ The following is the replay referred to:
§ Sales of surplus war property have been made to the Belgian Government to the value of approximately £6,000,000. The articles comprise broad gauge railway lines and installations in situ, railway spares, Decauville track, locomotives and spare parts, wagons; cranes, etc.; tugs, launches and barges: bridges; machine tools; huts; tarpaulins; and the whole contents of the Arsenal at Mons, comprising a Very large number of articles. The sales to the French Government, which have not yet been entirely scheduled, are estimated to amount to about £20,000,000. 256 They comprise railway lines and installations, both normal gauge and light gauge, wharves, bridges, huts, dock equipment, engineering plant and tools, and the whole of the contents of the dumps in the advanced areas and in the arrondissements of Calais and Dunkirk, covering stores of almost every conceivable nature. My hon. Friend will see from the foregoing that it is impossible to give him an exhaustive statement within the limits of a Parliamentary answer. The stores are still in process of transfer to the respective Governments.