§ 49. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Supply how many of the 1,250,000 surplus Army boots have so far been sold; to which countries they have gone; what is the total amount realised; and by how much this falls short of the cost of the boots to the taxpayer.
§ The Minister of Supply (Mr. Aubrey Jones)Six hundred and forty-four thousand, one hundred and ten pairs of boots have been sold. About one-third are going to buyers in U.S.A., France, Italy, Germany and Rhodesia. The destination 26 of the rest is a matter for the exporters who bought from the Ministry. While the average sale price was less than the estimated original cost, I regret that for commercial reasons I cannot disclose the prices realised.
§ Mr. DoddsDoes the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that the surplus boots, or most of them, became surplus because of a blunder? When it has already been announced in the House that the boots cost the taxpayer nearly £2 a pair, why cannot the right hon. Gentleman tell us how much we have got for these boots, so that we may know how much money has been wasted? It must be a very large sum of money.
§ Mr. Jones—because I have further boots to sell. To disclose to him the prices already realised would prejudice the best price to be obtained for those still to be sold, and that would be detrimental to the taxpayers' interests.
§ Mr. DoddsWhen the sale is completed, will he be able to tell us what the boots have realised so that we can see how much money has been lost to the taxpayer.
§ Mr. JonesProvided I am satisfied that there is no good commercial reason against giving the hon. Member the information asked for, I shall be delighted to give it.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonIf the Government purchases these boots at a certain price and sells them for another price, either privately or otherwise, surely the House is entitled to know? This is public money. Will not the Minister undertake to let my hon. Friend know when he is ready to give the information, so that the House may know what has happened to these public resources and how far this Government are to be trusted with public money at all?
§ Mr. JonesCertainly the House is entitled to know at some juncture. The only point of my answer was that it would prejudice the public purse to disclose that information prematurely, and I think that is still the case.