§ MR. J. W. MACLURE (Lancashire, S. E., Stretford)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, whether he will obtain a Return from the leading railway companies and tram way companies paying dividends, and the great carriers in the country, as to how much of the forage they purchase is Home grown, Foreign, or Colonial?
§ *THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. W. WOODALL, Hanley)I am afraid that my Department has no special means of obtaining this information from the railway companies.
§ MR. MACLUREgave notice that on that day week he should move for a Return on the subject.
§ *MR. WOODALLMight I suggest that the hon. Member himself might privately obtain the information he wants?
§ MR. MACLUREsaid, that no doubt he could obtain a certain amount of information himself, but he wished for a public Return in the interests of the British farmer.
§ SIR A. ACLAND-HOOD (Somerset, Wellington)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office what are the contract prices for meat and forage supplied to the London garrison?
§ *MR. WOODALLI would refer the hon. Member, and also the hon. Member for St. Patrick's Division, who has a somewhat similar question on the Paper, to the joint Report of the Directors of Army and Navy Contracts, which was presented to Parliament in 1888, for the reasons why it is undesirable to publish contract prices. Acting on that Report, it is not the practice to disclose prices.
§ COLONEL LOCKWOOD (Essex, Epping)May I ask without notice whether, when the Secretary of State for War, in his answer to the question put by the hon. Member for Preston the day before yesterday, mentioned the fact of contractors mixing frozen or refrigerated meat with home-killed meat, he referred to home produce killed at home or to imported beasts slaughtered in England?
§ *MR. WOODALLI was not present when my right hon. Friend gave the answer referred to. I hope he will be in the House presently, and perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman will then put the question to the Secretary of State for War.
§ COLONEL LOCKWOODI wish to ask the Secretary of State for War whether in his answer to the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Preston the day before yesterday, when he mentioned the fact that contractors mixed foreign meat with home-killed meat, he meant home produce, killed at home, or merely imported meat slaughtered at home?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN,) Stirling BurghsI was not then prepared, nor am I now prepared, to answer that question.