§ Captain BARNETTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to an Admiralty memorandum, dated 25th June, which contains a list of eleven British firms holding stocks of steel and direct contractors and sub-contractors to deal with them exclusively; whether these firms were selected by reference to the trade or how otherwise; and if it is necessary in the public interest that a preference such as this should be given to a few firms at the expense of hundreds of others?
633W
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe steel stockholders referred to are those who are maintaining special stocks reserved exclusively to meet urgent Admiralty requirements, principally for ship repairs. The names of these firms were given simply for information of Admiralty contractors, so that urgent Admiralty work might not be delayed where small lots of steel were required which could not readily be obtained directly from the steel rolling firms. The Admiralty letter does not direct contractors to deal with these stockholders exclusively, but provides that the services of merchant and stockholders generally may be utilised for delivery ex-stockyard, and for orders which cannot readily be obtained from steel rolling firms. There was no intention of limiting contractors to a few firms in such cases.