§ MR. G. P. FULLER (Wilts, Westbury)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the complaints which have reached the War Office since the year 1892 in respect of the rations served out to the troops at Home are such as to show that the food has not been so good as before that date; whether there has been, under successive Governments, in recent years, any difference in the arrangement as to food and messing of 1530 the troops; and whether it is the duty of the officer in command to prevent any food which is not good from being served out to the messes of the men?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNo complaints as to the quality of the rations supplied to the troops at Home have reached the War Office, and there is every reason, judging by the ration inspectors' reports, to believe that the rations are of very good quality. Since 1888 there has been a steady progressive improvement in the food of the soldier. This is due partly to a better quality being supplied, owing to a system of surprise visits by export ration inspectors having been adopted, and partly to the instruction which has been given to regimental officers in the inspection of meat in the Army Service Corps School of Instruction at Aldershot. Greater care is also now taken in cooking and in utilising all portions of rations according to a system which was begun in Ireland by Colonel Burnett, and afterwards brought to perfection at the Army School of Cookery at Aldershot. It is the duty of the officer in command to prevent food which is not good from being served out to the men. There has certainly been no difference under successive Governments in respect of the food arrangements beyond the steady improvement to which I have referred.
COLONEL LOCK WOOD (Essex, Epping)asked if it was not the case that last week or the week before a very large quantity of refrigerated meat had to be destroyed in Dublin.
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid he could not answer that question.