§ Mr. HANNONasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will state the amount involved in the schemes submitted by the Great Western Railway Company and sanction for Government assistance under the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act; the total value of the orders now placed by this company; and if orders are being placed with British manufacturers only?
Mr. THOMASThe schemes submitted by the Great Western Railway which have been approved for grant under the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, involve a total expenditure of approximately £4,860,000. I understand that the aggregate value of the orders already placed by the company in connection with these schemes is over £300,000 and that additional orders totalling over £250,000 will be placed before the end of this year. As regards the last part of the question, the conditions as to the purchase of British materials in connection with these schemes are set out in the White Paper which I have recently laid before the House.