§ Mr. BIRKETTI am very glad to have this opportunity of raising a point which arises neither from the speech of the hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. T. Johnston) or the hon. Member who has just sat down. Interesting as it would be to do so there is at this hour of the evening no time to enter upon the subject to which they have been referring. I desire to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office, to whom I have given notice, about a matter which affects the people of Nottingham very closely. I understand that the depot at Chilwell is to be closed down. The information has come from the War Office. Nottingham of all places in this country is in a particularly difficult position at this time of unemployment, having regard to the depression of its staple industry, the lace industry, which is suffering from the greatest depression, and it is provoking to see that that difficulty is now made 556 worse. So far as Chilwell is concerned this depot has been a godsend during these years of depression, and now at this time of unexampled difficulty the official policy of the War Office is to close down the depot.
Coincidentally with that I understand it to be the policy of the War Office to spend £186,900 upon premises at Didcott. My submission is that the ordnance stocks of this country are likely to remain pretty constant during the next year or two. If it be a fact that the War 'Office are going to spend £190,000 on new buildings and stores, common-sense policy dictates that the premises at Chilwell, which have been built at enormous expense, which are eminently suited for the purpose, should, at any rate, be used for that purpose during the next few years until this time of difficulty is tided over. I am glad to see present the hon. Member for Mansfield (Mr. Varley), who, I am sure, will support me in this, knowing as he does that the situation in Nottingham is one which is almost too terrible to contemplate. I would ask the Financial Secretary, is it a fact that the War Office are going to spend £190,000 on premises at Didcott? If so, is it a fact that those premises are to be used solely or wholly for the purposes which the premises at Chilwell would meet, and meet adequately? If that is so, why should not, during the next few years, the premises at Chilwell, which are suitable for this particular purpose, be used, and thus provide further employment in the city of Nottingham and at the same time save £190,000?
§ Notice taken that 40 Members were not present; House counted, end 40 Members not being present—
§ The House was adjourned at Twenty-three Minutes after Nine of the Clock until To-morrow.