§ Mr. Dobbieasked the Minister of Supply what steps he has recently taken to facilitate the supply by a local authority of iron castings to a firm in its area in order to assist the latter in the execution of contracts with his Department; and whether he is prepared, if similar cases arise, to deal with them in the same way?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe firm in question needed the castings and the local authority was prepared to supply them, subject to the question of the legality of using its foundry for other than municipal purposes. In order to remove any doubt as to this I issued a direction under Regulation 54(b) of the Defence (General) Regulations requiring the corporation to supply iron castings to the firm in question in order to assist it in the execution of contracts with Government Departments. In answer to the second part of the Question, I can assure my hon. Friend that I shall be prepared to take similar action in other cases where such action is justified. Moreover, the power to give directions to local authorities under the Defence Regulation referred to is possessed by a number of Ministers and authorities besides the Minister of Supply.