§ Mr. Manderasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will state the value of Japanese goods purchased by his Department in each of the last three years; and whether he will take steps to avoid the purchase of such goods during the present crisis in the Far East?
§ Earl WintertonThe India Office is not a purchasing Department and during the period in question its purchases were confined to a limited number of articles of office equipment. There is no reason to suppose that any of these articles were of Japanese origin. Since 1st April, 1937, the India Office has ceased to make any direct purchases of office supplies and now obtains all its requirements from the Office of Works and the Stationery Office. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.