§ Colonel BURNasked whether contracts for the manufacture of clothing for the British Army are given to British firms, or whether alien firms in the East End of London and elsewhere are sometimes employed?
§ Mr. FORSTERContracts for the manufacture of clothing for the British Army are allocated on tendering in competition amongst all firms on the Contracts Department's list. Every effort is made to confine this list to reputable firms, and inquiry is made into any cases in which it appears that any of the directors are un-naturalised. More elaborate steps are now being taken to deal with any firm whose partners may be of alien origin, so as to make sure that no contractors of enemy origin are employed. As my hon. and gallant Friend is no doubt aware, a 181W considerable portion of the tailoring trade in East London and elsewhere is in the hands of firms of Russian-Jewish origin.