§ Mr. HICKSasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if his attention has been drawn to the diminution in the number of contracts placed with the Royal Ordnance Factories by the Admiralty, the Royal Air Force and the Colonial Departments; and whether he will approach the Departments concerned with a view to securing additional work for the Royal Ordnance Factories?
§ Mr. COOPERI am aware of the decrease in the value of the orders estimated to be placed in 1932 compared with 1931 by the Admiralty, Air Ministry and Colonial Governments. As regards the second part of the question, the question of providing as much work as possible for the Royal Ordnance Factories is discussed each year with the other Service Departments and, with a similar object in view, Colonial Governments are requested to place their orders through the War Office.
§ Mr. HICKSasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office the number of employés of industrial and non-industrial grades, male and female, at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, on 1st April in each of the years from 1924 to 1932, inclusive?
1345W
§ Mr. COOPERThe figures for which the hon. Member asks are given in the following statement:
STATEMENT showing number of employés of industrial and non-industrial grades, male and female, employed at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, on 1st April, 1924–32. 1924 … … … 8,519 1925 … … … 9,042 1926 … … … 7,719 1927 … … … 7,297 1928 … … … 7,427 1929 … … … 7,528 1930 … … … 7,398 1931 … … … 7,221 1932 … … … 7,066
§ Mr. HICKSasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office particulars of contracts given out to private firms in 12 months, to the last convenient date, by the War Office; and whether the Department has any reason to believe that work of the particular class involved could not be done by the Royal Ordnance Factory?
§ Mr. COOPERThe hon. Member is no doubt referring to the figures which I gave him on 12th May last, and the main classes of stores included in the portion allocated to the trade are given below. Generally these stores were of a kind not suitable for manufacture at the Royal Ordnance Factories, but certain items, e.g., small arms ammunition and tanks were for manufacture both by the Royal Ordnance Factories and the trade. In those cases the trade orders were placed, broadly speaking, either to ensure that the firm's productive capacity should be retained or in fulfilment of obligations entered into in regard to stores specially designed for Army use.
The main classes of stores allocated to the trade were:
- (1) General stores including harness and saddlery, textiles, barrack and hospital equipment.
- (2) Optical and rangefinding instruments.
- (3) Anti-gas stores.
- (4) Small arm and other ammunition.
- (5) Tanks, motor transport, etc., and spare parts.
- (6) Searchlight, wireless and signalling stores.