§ MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN (Mayo, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to complaints made by the victuallers of Westport, County Mayo, that whilst it has been customary for Her Majesty's ships stationed on the west coast calling at that port to get their meat supplies by contract for shorter or longer terms, for some time past the supplies have been procured from a favoured few; whether he will be so good as to inquire into those complaints; and if they prove well founded, will he see that the benefits of the orders from Her Majesty's ships shall be fairly distributed among the victuallers of Westport?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. FORWOOD, Lancashire, S.W., Ormskirk)No complaints from victuallers at Westport have reached the Admiralty. No contract for meat has been made at Westport, as the demand does not justify one. Her Majesty's 141 ships calling there will, as a general rule, only be coastguard cruisers, requiring a few pounds at a time, and they will make their purchases in the ordinary manner.