§ 74. Sir K. FRASERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions whether the firm of clothing manufacturers who contracted to purchase 577,000 discharged soldiers' suits at 45s. from the Disposal Board was aware that the suits were made to the sizes and scale of dimensions approved by the War Office as being best adapted to War Office requirements; whether the 337,000 suits, part of the contract which the purchaser has not accepted, were made to the War Office sizes and scale of dimensions; if not, why were they accepted by the Department from the manufacturers; and whether the £50,000 deposited by the purchasing firm has been set off in part payment of the suits accepted, or is this amount still held as a deposit?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of MUNITIONS (Mr. James Hope)The answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative, and the third part does not, therefore, arise. With regard to the last part of the question, the £50,000 is still held as a deposit.