§ 1. Mr. ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELasked the Secretary of State for India the price quoted in the lowest British tender and the approximate price at which the Hannover Maschinenbau A. G. obtained in August last the order from the Burma Railway for two tank locomotives
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Wedgwood Benn)The contract price of the accepted tender was £6,780. The lowest British tender received was considerably higher. As I mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member on the 3rd instant, I am not willing to quote the figures of unsuccessful tenders.
§ Mr. SAMUELWhat is the cause of these goods being too dear for the Indian Government to be able to give the contract to our manufacturers?
§ Mr. SAMUELDoes the right hon. Gentleman wish to shunt the responsibility on the High Commission again as last week, instead of looking into the matter himself?
§ Mr. BENNThe hon. Gentleman knows that these are matters for the High Commissioner, and if he likes to put a further question down on specific points of detail, I will make inquiries of the High Commissioner.
§ Mr. SAMUELDoes not the right hon. Gentleman remember that he said last week that it was the High Commissioner who had to look into these things; and does he not realise that much unemployment in the heavy engineering trades is due to the dearness of our goods, and that it is the duty of his Department to find out why the goods are so dear that we lose orders?