§ Mr. BRASSEYasked the Secretary of State for War, whether he can state the number of pairs of boots purchased by the War Office in each of the last eight financial years, giving the quantities, respectively, of hand-made boots and machine-made boots; and the time given to the manufacturers for the completion of contract each year?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe figures asked for and the periods for delivery of the main orders are as follows, the year being the calendar year in each case:—
Infantry Boots and Shoes, Pairs. Delivery. 1903 220,052 April, 1904, to Feb., 1905 1904 221,248 March, 1905, to April, 1906 1905 247,887 March, 1906, to Feb., 1907 1906 65,004 June, 1906, to March, 1907 1907 433,630 March, 1907, to Feb., 1908 1908 352,918 April, 1908, to Dec, 1908 1909 259,765 March, 1909, to Jan., 1910 1910 304,696 Feb., 1910, to Oct., 1910 Dec,1910 for 1911 150,000 March, 1911, to Jan., 1912 The number of machine-sewn boots and shoes included in the above figures are:—
Paris 1907 … … … … 2,280 1908 … … … … 204 1909 … … … … 4,265 1910 … … … … 10,246 The rest were hand sewn, except that the contractors have the option of stitching the uppers by machine. The extent to which they have availed themselves of this option is not recorded.