§ 74. Mr. M. Lindsayasked the Secretary of State for War why 9,000 paint brushes, 19,000 punches and 1,450 screwdrivers were sold under his direction at Bicester on 8th February.
§ Mr. F. MacleanThese were all accessories for the Polsten machine gun which is obsolete. They were found to be unsuitable for other Army purposes for various reasons; for example, the brushes were of an unusual pattern with specially stiff bristles and would have been an unsatisfactory substitute for standard types. Whilst items such as these may be of limited civilian use, it is our policy, because of the storage problems involved, not to retain them merely in the hope that they may be useful at some time in the future.