§ Mr. Sharpasked the Secretary of State for War whether any attempt was made to secure from Allied Governments, supplied with stores and equipment from Army ordnance depots since the termination of mutual-aid agreements, approval to the submission and speedy check by them of bulk accounts, and with what results; who will be debited with the cost of over 100 clerks who have been employed continuously on the work of making detailed issue vouchers for these stores for over a year; and when he proposes stopping this misuse of manpower.
§ Mr. BellengerWherever it has been possible to use broad methods to evaluate the stores issued to Allied forces, for example, when the stores issued could be related to the standard scale of equipment for a recognised type of unit, bulk accounts have been submitted to and accepted as a basis of settlement by the Allied Governments concerned. Approximately four-fifths of the total sum so far claimed has been dealt with in this way, thus avoiding the employment of about 100 additional clerks who would have been needed if detailed claims had been prepared. Nevertheless, as explained in my answers to my hon. Friend of 16th and 29th July, it was decided that repayment vouchers should be prepared at ordnance depots in respect of all the stores issued, to serve as the means of evaluating miscellaneous issues incapable of broad assessment and as documentary support for any bulk accounts which might be challenged on details by the Governments concerned. In fact, as was foreseen, recourse to these vouchers has frequently been necessary during the course of negotiations with the Governments concerned in order to corroborate contested elements in the bulk accounts. The cost of the198W clerical labour employed on these transactions together with other overhead costs, is recovered from the Governments concerned by means of a percentage addition to the basic cost of the stores sold. In view of the importance to the national exchequer of the £50,000,000 claimed from the countries concerned, I cannot accept the suggestion that the manpower employed has been misused.