§ Mr. SHEPHERDasked the President of the Board of Trade the cost of each of the Committees set up under the Safeguarding of Industries legislation, showing in which instances a duty has been imposed as a result of the Committee's recommendations?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe following table gives the information desired by the hon. Member. The estimated cost is stated, in each case, in the report of the Committee.
whether he will arrange for all such sales to be conducted by public auction in future?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSIt is not possible to lay down any hard and fast rule as to the best method of disposing of surplus stores, as this depends on circumstances and on the 1921W nature of the store, and each case has to be considered on its merits. Generally speaking, for the bulk of Army surplus stores it is found that better prices are obtained by competitive tendering than by public auction, although the latter method is resorted to for certain classes of stores. Moreover, as I explained in my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Melton on the 5th ultimo, the advantages of sale by private treaty in certain cases cannot be ignored. If would not, therefore, be in the public interest to dispense altogether with any of these methods of disposal.