§ Sir I. PHILIPPSasked the Secretary of State for War how many new general service medals he estimates will have to be issued for the Great War; whether the design has already been selected; and whether the order has yet been given for the manufacture of such medals?
§ Mr. FORSTERSo far as the British war medal is concerned, it is estimated that approximately 8,000,000 will be required. The design has been selected, and arrangements for manufacture are now being made.
§ Sir I. PHILIPPSasked the Secretary of State for War how many yards of ribbon are estimated to be required to make the first issue of general service medals; how many yards have been ordered; with what number of contractors have these orders been placed; and what is the price paid per yard for such ribbon?
§ Mr. FORSTERFive hundred thousand yards of the medal ribbon are required for the preliminary issue and, though the orders for nearly 2,000,000 yards have been distributed on the widest possible basis amongst seventeen firms, the necessary preliminary quantity has not yet been fully delivered. As the orders have been placed at competitive rates it is not desirable that these rates should be published.