§ Sir H. NIELDasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions whether the control and testing of thermometers formerly performed at the National Physical Laboratory and taken over by the Ministry during the War is still retained by the Ministry; if so, how many persons are engaged upon such work and at what cost; whether the work constitutes a separate department and how long it is proposed to continue it; and what reason can be assigned by him for not re-transferring the work to the National Physical Laboratory?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEI have been asked to answer this question. With regard to the first part, the testing of thermometers of all kinds has always been undertaken by the National Physical Laboratory, since before the War, on payment of a fee. The Ministry of Munitions issued an Order in October, 1918—for the administration of which the Board of Trade is now responsible— making the testing of clinical thermometers compulsory. This testing, as required by the Order, is performed by the National Physical Laboratory. The remainder of the question, therefore, does not arise.