§ Captain BOWYERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions whether he is aware of the case of Messrs. Arthur Lee and Sons, Limited, steel manufacturers, Crown Steel and Wire Mills, Sheffield, who erected last July, at the request of the Air Board, a new building and extended their plant to meet the increased production of aeroplane stream-line wire demanded; that in November this firm was advised that the extension would not be required; that it was then too late to cancel orders placed for machinery, etc., and that this firm has now been asked by the trade concerned to manufacture corset steel and has signified its willingness to do so provided that it can obtain a liberal and final writing-down allowance, which has hitherto been refused; whether, in view of the hardships incurred by this firm and the fact that corset steel was almost entirely a German monopoly before the War, he will state whether the Grant given to firms during the War under circumstances such as these is applicable in this case; and, if not, what steps he will take to render to this firm the financial assistance necessary at the start for their ultimate success?
Mr. J. HOPEThe case has not been brought to my notice. If the firm in question have made excess profits the proper course for them to follow is to apply to the Inland Revenue Authorities for a suitable "writing off" from their capital expenditure. If the firm have not made ex- 2435W cess profits they should apply. to the Departmental Contracts Committee, which has been set up by the Minister with the concurrence of the Treasury, under the chairmanship of Mr. Cecil Lubbock, to consider cases of hardship in connection with contracts entered into with the Ministry of Munitions.