HC Deb 21 June 1927 vol 207 cc1648-9
9. Mr. RAMSDEN

asked the Secretary of State for War the value of all foreign goods, other than land, purchased by or on behalf of the Imperial War Graves Commission during he last financial year and what percentage this bears to the total purchases?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Commodore Douglas King)

I regret that complete information is not available, and could only be obtained by reference to the books of all the contractors employed by the Commission in various parts of the world.

14. Mr. RAMSDEN

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the value of any foreign goods purchased during the last financial year by or on behalf of any of the departments he administers; and

Department. Class of Goods. Value of foreign goods purchased during the Financial Year 1926–7. Percentage which the figure in the second column bears to the value of the total purchases in respect of that item of expenditure during the same year.
£ Per cent.
Board of Agriculture for Timber 10,800 100
Scotland. Cement 195 6½
Glassware and micro scopical appliances. 9 1½
Fishery Board for Scotland Coal 2,506 44.7
Scientific apparatus 40 13.3
Prison Commissioners for Willows 58 19
Scotland. Slates 39 5
National Library of Scotland Books 35 12.4
58. Mr. RAMSDEN

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the value of all foreign goods purchased by the Stationery Office during the last financial year; and what percentage this is of the total purchases?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Ronald McNeill)

An accurate figure in answer to the first part of the question could be obtained only at the cost of a great deal of labour. A very conjectural figure for the last financial year is £30,000, which would represent from one to one and a-half per cent. of the total expenditure. I would add that the practice of the Stationery Office is to confine purchases of foreign goods to articles which cannot be obtained of British make, such as foreign books and periodicals and certain office machinery and parts.

Colonel DAY

Does that also apply to pencils, of which the right hon. Gentleman said some are obtained from abroad?

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