§ 48. Mr. HARDIEasked the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence whether he has, since taking his present post, given out any orders for material on work of any kind; and whether he has given his sanction for the purchase of any land?
§ Sir T. INSKIPNo, Sir. My duties, as defined in the White Paper, do not include the placing of orders for stores or the purchase of land. These remain the province of the Defence Departments and are dealt with through the appropriate organisations of those Departments.
§ Mr. HARDIEAgain referring to the right hon. Gentleman's statement on 29th May, when he said that Rootes' Properties were to be the source through which things must go, what does he mean today, seeing that Rootes' Properties are nothing but a financial corporation Will the right hon. Gentleman say to this House now that what he said on 29th May was true, or is he prepared to contradict that statement and say it was wrong?