asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply whether he can now make a full report of the relations between the Ministry and the machine-tool manufacturers since 1939, including an explanation of the Treasury auditor's report; what are the names of the firms that created difficulties; and what is the present position?

I would refer the hon. Member to the Report from the Commitee of Public Accounts dated 30th July, 1941. The members of the Machine Tool Trades Association, to which most of the firms in the industry belong, have now accepted a costings Clause in all contracts for supplies of machine tools on Government account and, in addition to or in the place of the costings clause, price fixing methods, as described in paragraph 45 of the Report, have been adopted. Having regard to the wiling co-operation which the industry as a whole is now displaying, it would not I think, serve any useful purpose to give the names of the firms who raised difficulties in the past.