HC Deb 16 November 1920 vol 134 cc1678-9
12. Mr. CHARLES WHITE

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that an order was recently placed with a Warrington firm for 60 tons of barbed wire for Mesopotamia at £1,000 a ton; whether there is a large quantity of surplus barbed wire, the property of the Government, which has not yet been disposed of; and whether, such being the case, this could have been utilised instead of orders for new wire being given.

Sir A. WILLIAMSON

Certain purchases of barbed wire have recently had to be made, but neither the quantity nor the price quoted in the question are correct. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative, and the third part does not therefore arise.

Mr. WHITE

May I ask why any barbed wire was bought and how much was bought?

Sir A. WILLIAMSON

I should require notice of the quantity.

Mr. WHITE

And the price—can we have the price?

Sir A. WILLIAMSON

It is not usual, I believe, to give the prices paid by the Army Contracts Department, but the hon. Member has obviously transposed the figures, because barbed wire is worth something like £60 a ton, not £1,000.

Mr. HOGGE

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the War Office made any inquiries, before this order was given, as to whether there was any barbed wire available out of old stores?

Sir M. DOCKRELL

Is it the practice of the Department to co-ordinate with other Government Departments to ascertain, for instance, if they are buying a motor car, whether the Disposal Board have any?

Sir A. WILLIAMSON

Inquiry is made, and has been made in this case, of the Disposal Board as to whether there was any barbed wire available, and the answer was that there was not.