§ Mr. SAMUEL ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for War whether the firm of Sanderson, Brothers, and Newbould, of Sheffield, some years ago, at the request of the Government, arranged their plant so as to enable them to produce 2,000 bayonets per week; whether there is an understanding that orders for bayonets shall be equally divided between the Government factories and private firms; whether an order for 30,000 bayonets has recently been placed with the Enfield factory; and whether a similar order will be placed with the above or other private firms?
§ Mr. H. BAKERWhen the programme of rearmament with the long bayonet was under consideration in 1907 the trade were asked to state their probable capacity of output. Messrs. Sanderson and Newbould gave the figure mentioned. There has been no understanding as to an equal division of orders between the trade and Enfield. As regards current work, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to-day to a question put by the hon. Member for the Central Division of Sheffield.