§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what sums were paid and are still owing to outside contractors in respect of work done for the Admiralty during the years 1924, 1925, and 1926, respectively, exclusive of the sums spent on hulls and on main and auxiliary machinery; and in respect of what items these sums were payable?
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§ Lieut.-Colonel HEADLAMThe approximate total sums paid to outside contractors, exclusive of expenditure on hulls and on main and auxiliary machinery, during the financial years 1924, 1925, and 1926 were:
£ 1924 12,680,000 1925 13,910,000 1926 13,300,000 These figures cover the whole of the payments to outside contractors (with the exceptions indicated) and include payments for gun mountings, armour, armament stores, works, naval stores, fuel, victualling stores, medical stores, etc., etc. The amounts owing to contractors at any particular time are trifling, since claims are almost invariably paid within a very short time of their becoming due under the contracts.