§ Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for Defence why 13,065 yards of textiles were offered for sale at the public auction in the Cheetham Town Hall, Manchester, on 2nd February, 1965; and, of the quantity sold, how the price obtained compared with the purchase price.
§ Mr. MulleyThe 13,065 yards of textiles, which consisted of about 500 pieces of different materials, mainly bought before 1952, were offered, and sold, because none was suitable for future use. The purchase price is not known, and it is not usual to give details of the prices realised.
286W
§ Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for Defence why he offered for sale as surplus stock at the public auction in Manchester on 2nd February, 1965, 13,540 steel helmets; why they were not retained in stock; how many were sold; and at what price.
§ Mr. MulleyThe helmets were from Home Office civil defence stocks. I was asked to dispose of them because the linings had deteriorated through age and they were no longer serviceable. 12,540 were offered for sale and 417 sold. It is not usual for prices realised to be given.
§ Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for Defence why 2,594 pairs of trousers and 1,740 pairs of ankle boots were offered for sale as surplus stock at the public auction at Hurlford, Kilmarnock, on 11th March, 1965; how many were new; and how the selling price compared with the purchase price.
§ Mr. MulleyThe trousers and boots, all of which had been worn, were offered for sale because they were no longer fit for Service use. The trousers cost £1 16s. 6d. a pair and the boots £1 15s. 0d. a pair: it is not usual to give details of prices realised.
§ Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for Defence why 5,944 pairs of leather ankle boots, 14,400 leather boot soles for sizes 5 to 7 and 2,600 leather boot heels were offered for sale at the public auction at Bicester, Oxfordshire, on 9th February, 1965; why they were not retained for future use; how many were sold; and how the price obtained at the auction compared with the purchase price.
§ Mr. MulleyNone of the ankle boots was serviceable and the soles and heels were not required because they were either of a non-standard pattern no longer in use or, in the case of some of the leather heels, of a very small size for which there is little call. The soles were bought in 1940 and the heels in 1949. 5,287 pairs of boots and 4,800 soles were sold but none of the heels. The boots cost about £1 15s. 0d. a pair, the soles 4s. 3d. a pair and the heels 4d. a pair. It is not usual to give details of prices realised.
§ Mr. Doddsasked the Secretary of State for Defence why 3,906 pairs of anti-mosquito boots were declared surplus and 287W offered for sale at the public auction at Bicester; how many were sold; and how the price realised compared with the purchase price.
§ Mr. MulleyThese boots were purchased some years ago and have now been declared surplus because of a decreasing annual maintenance requirement and because it was decided to reduce the reserves held. None was sold at the auction. They cost £1 13s. 6d. a pair.