§ 43. Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the First Commissioner of Works what amount, if any, of timber produced within the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics has been used by his Department in the course of the last 12 months?
§ Mr. LANSBURYThe Department's standard specification in connection with softwoods permits the use by contractors of British Columbia Pine, Silver Spruce, Oregon Pine, Baltic and White Sea timbers of approved quality. No information is available as to what proportion, if any, of the timbers actually used by contractors comes from the source mentioned by the hon. Member.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLECannot the right hon. Gentleman through his Department discover the places from which this timber comes; and, in view of the answer he has given in regard to other places, cannot he give the House some information in regard to Soviet Russia?
§ Mr. LANSBURYPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will put down another question on the subject.
§ Mr. THORNEHas your attention been called to the fact, Mr. Speaker, that the hon. Member for North Newcastle-on-Tyne (Sir N. Grattan-Doyle) has four questions on the Paper?
§ 50. Major ROSSasked the First Commissioner of Works whether the sample morocco skin, to which supplies have to conform when tendering for upholstery to be used in the houses of Parliament, is made from a goat skin of Empire origin; and whether he will give an assurance that all leather used by the Office of Works shall in future be made from raw material originating from within the Empire?
§ Mr. LANSBURYThe exhibited sample is a skin of European origin. I am not prepared to give the assurance asked for in the latter part of the question, but my Department, when placing contracts, will in fact give preference to skins of Empire origin provided that they are up to sample standard and are prepared and finished in accordance with specification.
§ Major ROSSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the goat skin in question is of German origin, and does he want British goats to follow the example of German goats?