§ * MR. JEFFREYS (Hampshire, N.)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether very little hay and straw grown in the United Kingdom is supplied to the troops in South Africa; whether he is aware that both hay and straw can be purchased in this country at abnormally low prices; and whether, in future contracts, opportunities will be given to producers in this country to tender for the required supplies.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS,) Birmingham, S.Producers of hay in this country have full opportunity of tendering for supplies, but they are not as a rule able to deliver hay sufficiently compressed, nor is home-grown hay ordinarily fitted to undergo successfully the heat of the South African climate and the conditions of the sea voyage. Moreover, the military authorities who are responsible for supplies in the present campaign require large quantities of certain descriptions of forage which cannot be obtained in Great Britain, and the Secretary of State is not prepared to interfere with their discretion in the matter. Straw does not form a part of the field service forage ration. The Department is not paying more for supplies of hay for the Cape than the prices at which home producers have tendered.