§ Sir A. WILSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Government Departments, in allocating contracts, are required to give preference, other things being equal, to firms in the special areas, as provided in Article 16 of the Agreement of 30th November, 1935, between the Treasury and the railway companies?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe practice in this matter is that, other things being equal, the contracting departments give special consideration to tenders submitted by firms working in areas suffering from prolonged and severe unemployment.