§ Mr. Horabinasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to discourage the favouring of certain firms by the mention of specific names by the various purchasing departments of goods of a general nature, such as cement, locks, and asbestos, which can equally well be purchased from a large variety of sources?
§ Sir V. WarrenderThe question appears to relate to certain hutted camp contracts placed recently by my Department. The practice of specifying that particular items in a building contract should be the product of a named firm is avoided as far as possible in War Department specifications. But power has been taken in the contracts in question to nominate subcontractors for the supply of locks and lock furniture and of asbestos goods. This was done in order to ensure, with the assistance of the trade association concerned, that locks of the required quality and asbestos goods should be forthcoming at the necessary speed, and at a price to 445W be agreed between my Department and the association. No such special arrangements have been made for the supply of cement for these contracts.