§ MR. NANNETTII beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will inquire why the authorites responsible for supplying the canteens in Ireland with stout have accepted the tender of the Burton Brewery, whose tender was higher than that of the Dublin brewers; and whether, in the interests of the troops, he will inquire what reason induced the canteen authorities to depart from the commercial custom of accepting the lowest tender.
LORD STANLEYNo, Sir. The matter is left entirely to the discretion of the General Officer commanding.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYDid not the noble Lord give a guarantee last year that he would inquire into this matter, and has he not entirely failed to do so? Why should the contract for Irish whisky and porter be given to a firm at Burton-on-Trent?
LORD STANLEYWe have pointed out to General Officers commanding districts the advisability of dealing as far as possible with local firms. These are, however, questions of the expenditure of the money of the men, and not of the Government, and therefore we leave the matter entirely to the discretion of the Commanding Officer.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYAnd, because it is the men's money, the contract goes to an English firm for articles which Irish firms would supply at lower prices!
§ MR. NANNETTIWill the noble Lord lay on the Table of the House copies of these tenders?