§ Mr. Cobbasked the Minister of Defence whether it is intended that the Mi of Supply shall be responsible for the procurement and supply of stores to the Admiralty to the utmost possible extent consistent with optimum efficiency; and what was the proportion of these stores handled by the Ministry of Supply for the 12 months ended December,1938, the average during the war years and for the 12 months ended December, 1946.
§ Mr. AlexanderYes, Sir, this is the present practice. I regret that the information requested in the second part of the Question is not available, but it is estimated that, during the current financial year, of the total requirement of stores for the Royal Navy, including aircraft, approximately two-thirds by value will be obtained through the Ministry of Supply.