§ GENERAL F. S. RUSSELL (Cheltenham)I beg to ask the Secretary to the War Office whether he will state the result of the careful consideration which last Session he promised the Government would give to the question of the supply of meat and forage to the troops; and whether, considering the acknowledged superior nutritive qualities of home-fed over frozen meat, there is any chance of the Government seeing their way to specifying the former description of meat only in all Government contracts?
§ MR. BRODRICK (Surrey, Guildford)The full result cannot be stated within the limits of an answer to a question; but with the permission of the House, I propose to make a statement on the subject in connection with the Vote. I may say, however, that the cost of limiting: the supplies to home sources would be very serious. Only a small proportion of frozen meat is supplied, and the result of the careful scientific investigation which has been made shows that the meat now issued to the troops is equal in nutritive qualities to ordinary home-fed meat.
MR. FIELDReferring to the reply of the right hon. Gentleman, I beg to ask whether he is prepared to give the House an answer to the inquiry as to what is 493 the amount of money it would cost to supply home-fed meat to the troops in Ireland, instead of foreign, and whether the extra expenditure would not be well recouped?
§ MR. BRODRICKThe amount involved by giving the troops in Ireland a supply of home-fed meat only would be £4,000 a year.
§ MR. BRODRICKUpon that point the hon. Member must convince the British taxpayer.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!