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Ministry Of Supply (Italian Machine Tool)

Volume 499: debated on Wednesday 30 April 1952

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asked the Minister of Supply why an Italian-manufactured automatic machine tool designed by a British firm and selling in the United Kingdom at £1,200 when manufactured in this country, is being bought by his Department for £1,800; and whether the delivery dates are so much better in the case of the imported article as to justify this increased cost.

I regret that I cannot, on the information given, identify the particular transaction to which my hon. Friend refers. It was necessary to buy certain types of machine tool from Italy because the United Kingdom industry could not supply them in sufficient quantities to meet defence needs in full.