§ Mr. R. YOUNGasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why the Technical Costs Branch of the Contracts Department is being reduced in spite of a recommendation for extension from the Treasury, which made an investigation into the work of the branch, and although the National Expenditure Committee, 1917£18, also recommended the continuance and extension of its work; and what has been the total saving effected by the Technical Costs Branch since having been taken over by the Admiralty?
§ Mr. AMERYA reduction of four is being made in the staff of the Technical Costs Branch after full consideration of the subject, which has led to the conclusion that the present staff is larger than will be required for the amount of work likely to fall upon it in the future. There is no intention to abolish the branch, whose services are utilised by various Government Departments, but it is obvious that with a smaller shipbuilding programme, and less expenditure on munitions generally, the opportunities of usefulness for such a branch must be very considerably less than during recent years. In cases dealt with by the Technical Costings staff since it has been attached to the Admiralty, it has been calculated that it has been possible to place contracts at prices lower by a total of slightly over £350,000 than the prices originally quoted, but it must not be assumed that no portion of this saving would have been obtained without the assistance of this section.