§ Mr. Leslieasked the Minister of Supply why he has appealed to owners of machine tools to give them to the Government; and whether he has no power to confiscate them?
§ Sir A. DuncanThe Defence (General) Regulations give power to requisition machine tools. This authority has already been exercised and will continue to be exercised whenever the need arises. The appeal to which my hon. Friend refers has the advantage that machine tools that are surplus to the owners' requirements may be surrendered without the delay of investigation which requisitioning necessitates.