§ MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to a meeting of the Innishowen District 1024 Council, county Donegal, at which a resolution was passed protesting against the action of the War Office in accepting a tender for the supply of foreign meat for the Army instead of the native article marketed by those who contribute towards the support and maintenance of the Army, and also protesting against the Army horses being fed on foreign forage, to the detriment of Irish tenant farmers; and will steps be taken to place all future contracts as far as possible within the United Kingdom.
LORD STANLEYMy attention has been called to the resolution referred to. The whole question of supply of meat throughout the United Kingdom is being considered.
§ MR. M'FADDEN (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he has received a copy of a resolution passed at the last quarterly meeting of the county council of Londonderry protesting against the recent action of the War Office in accepting a tender for the supply of foreign meat in preference to the native article, and protesting against the supply of foreign forage to the horses in the Army to the loss of farmers and traders in Ireland, and asking that this policy should be changed; and will he state what steps (if any) the Government intend to take to remedy the matters complained of by this county council and other public bodies in Ireland.
LORD STANLEYI have not received a copy of the resolution referred to. The whole question of the supply of meat in the United Kingdom is under consideration. As regards forage, I have already explained to the House that all the contracts but two are given to local dealers.