§ Mr. WATTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether any contracts have been placed by his Department since the 1st of January for blankets for the Army with Scottish carpet manufacturers direct; if so, will he say to what extent; and is he aware that such contracts were placed by middlemen in the early months of the War, thus helping to keep working a large number of female employés whose trade was otherwise severely injured by the War?
§ Mr. FORSTERSince the 1st of January contracts for about one million Army blankets have been placed directly with Scottish carpet manufacturers In the earlier months of the War, when the demand for blankets was so urgent that it was necessary to utilise every available source of supply, contracts were in some cases placed with middlemen, but it is the established policy of the War Office to deal directly with manufacturers, and in the absence of very special circumstances I am not prepared to depart from that policy.