§ Sir F. SYKESasked the Secretary of State for Air under what British patents property in the design of the Irving type parachute was vested in the American manufacturer at the time the Royal Air Force order was placed in America; the period over which deliveries of parachutes on order are permissible under the existing contracts; and whether power Is held by the Air Ministry to terminate the contracts without compensatory payment in the event of an improved type of parachute being discovered and developed during the course of this period?
§ Sir S. HOAREAs regards the first part of the question, I am not aware of any British patent covering the design
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Contributions Benefit Financial Year. Employers (including contributions from Service Departments in respect or men discharged from the Forces). Employed Persons. Exchequer. Total, £ £ £ £ £ 1921–22 15,068,000 12,261,000 8,123,000 35,452,000 67,426,000 1922–23 17,933,000 15,608,000 12,001,000 45,542,000 43,500,000 1923–24 19,009,000 16,828,000 12,811,000 48,648,000 36,498,000 1924–25 19,517,000 17,318,000 13,145,000 49,980,000 40,962,000 April-September, 1925 (Estimated). 9,886,000 8,793,000 6,675,000 25,354,000 22,765,000 The Division of contributions between Employers and Workpeople is approximate only. of the Irving parachute which is owned by the Irving Air Chute Company. As regards the second part, the contract provides that delivery of the 1,500 parachutes to be made in America shall be completed by the end of December, 1926, but it is probable that this delivery date will be substantially anticipated; no rate of delivery has yet been agreed in respect of the parachutes to be made in this country. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.