Other Departments.

26. The Board of Trade, Board of Customs, and Office of Works all place small contracts for cloth and the making of a variety of uniforms. The Board of Trade supply uniforms to the Coast Guard and the staff of their Mercantile Marine Department The Board of Customs supply uniforms to the men in the Customs Service, who, for this purpose, are divided into no less than seven groups. The Office of Works supply uniforms for park keepers and game keepers, firemen in public buildings, Custodians at the Houses of Parliament and Hampton Court, engineering attendants in public buildings, attendants in County Courts, Armoury attendants and Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London.

27. In all these cases the cloth and garments are inspected at Pimlico. The War Office are also consulted as to the placing of the contracts. Your Committee consider this system satisfactory, but in view of the very limited competition for making up the uniforms of the Yeoman Warders, they recommend that steps should be taken to find out if this work could be undertaken more economically at Pimlico.

28. Your Committee realise that the varying nature of the duties on which the men in the above Departments are engaged entails the use of a variety of cloths and uniforms. As, however, the technical co-ordinating Committee on clothing and textiles is empowered by its terms of reference to consider the standardisation of clothing and design, your Committee consider they should give further attention to this question. The technical Committee should aim at the elimination of unnecessary distinctions, and contracts for small quantities of a particular material. In cases of dispute, the question should be referred to the Treasury for decision.

General Observations.

29. During the inquiry the question of the valuation of stocks held by the Fighting Departments was considered by your Committee. As, however, they understand that the Treasury has appointed a Special Committee to examine the question, they make no recommendation.

30. More consideration should be given to the possibility of economy by inviting tenders for materials and making up garments during those months when manufacturers are likely to be least occupied with their ordinary trade. The War Office and Post Office have already made experiments in this direction, but further attention requires to be given to this subject by the Contracts Co-ordinating Committee.

31. Your Committee understand that the lease of Pimlico. will expire within a reasonable time. Should the War Office

60037

A 4

decide to remove the factory to another site, the Government should consider the desirability of concentrating the inspection of all cloth bought by Government Departments, including the Admiralty, at the new factory.

32. Your Committee drew attention to the question of Departmental expenses in their last Report, and the Treasury in their Minute of 7th October agreed to review these charges. Your Committee do not see how the economical advantages of the Agency System can be appreciated or extended if Departments make too high a charge. They would therefore call the Treasury's attention to the charge of 9 per cent. made by the War Office for inspecting clothing, which would appear to be too high, judging by trade standards.

A memorandum from the Treasury on the Second Report, dated 7th October, 1926 (vide proceedings on First and Second Reports).

Mr. R. S. MEIKLEJOHN, C.B., Deputy-Controller of Supply Services, was examined thereon.

[Adjourned to Wednesday next at 11 a.m.

Sir HERBERT CREEDY, K.C.B., K.C.V.o., Permanent Under-Secretary of State, War Office, and Mr. W. M. GAUL, C.B.E., Assistant Secretary, were examined on the supply and inspection of Army clothing.

Mr. R. S. MEIKLEJOHN, C.B., Treasury, attended the Committee. [Adjourned to Monday next at-4 o'clock.

Mr. R. S. MEIKLEJOHN, C.B., Treasury, in attendance.

Mr. J. W. CULLING, C.B.E., Director of Victualling at the Admiralty, was examined on the supply and inspection of clothing and material.

[Adjourned till Wednesday next at 11 o'clock.

Tuesday, 23rd November.

The Committee inspected the Royal Army Clothing Factory at Pimlico. The following members were present:·

Mr. R. S. MEIKLEJOHN, C.B., Treasury, in attendance.

Mr. H. SPARKES, O.B.E., Controller of Stores at the Post Office, was examined on the supply and inspection of clothing and material.

Mr. R. S. MEIKLEJOHN, C.B., Treasury, in attendance.

Air-Commodore A. M. LONGMORE, C.B., D.S.O., Director of Equipment, Mr. C. R. BRIGSTOCKE, C.B., Director of Contracts, Air Ministry, and Mr. J. A. O'BRIEN were examined on the supply and inspection of clothing and material.

[Adjourned to Wednesday next at 11 o'clock.

Mr. R. S. MEIKLEJOHN, C.B., Treasury, in attendance.

The following witnesses were examined on the supply and inspection of clothing and material:

Mr. H. M. ALLUM, Controller of Supplies, Office of Works, and Mr. W. H. D. JENKINS, C.B., C.B.E., Director of Contracts; Mr. J. W. H. CULLING, C.B.F., Director of Victualling, Admiralty, and Lieut.-General A. R H. HUTCHISON, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Adjutant-General Royal Marines.

[Adjourned to Monday, 13th December, at 4 o'clock.

Draft Report proposed by the CHAIRMAN brought up and read a first time as follows:

THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES have made further progress in the matters referred to them, and have agreed to the following THIRD REPORT

Treasury Action on First and Second Reports.

1. Your Committee have received a Minute from the Treasury, dated 7th October, on their First and Second Reports. The Recommendations made by your Committee in their First Report as to the re-classification and re-grouping of the Estimates have been adopted by the Government, and will be given effect to in next year's Estimates.

2. In regard to their Second Report, your Committee observe that the Treasury have under consideration the possibility of cost accounts of hospitals being more informative and comparable in form. They also note that the Military Hospital at Cosham is to be surrendered to the Ministry of Pensions in place of their hospital at Ewell, the lease of which will shortly expire; that the Military Hospital at Devonport is to be vacated, and the small nurses' hospital, The Spring, at Hanwell, is to be given up by the Pensions Ministry.