§ DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the statement on page 258 of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General to the effect that 337,704 lbs. of jam were written off on account of shortage in the Durban supply account for July, 1903, and to the statement on the same page that on April 26th, 1904, the Auditor-General wrote to the War Office for information respecting the contracts under which the jam was supplied; and whether he will say why nearly a year was allowed to elapse before the War Office gave any explanation of this incident, which arose twenty months ago from the writing off on account of supposed shortage in supply.
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTWill the hon. Member kindly refer to the reply to a similar Question put by the hon. Gentleman the senior Member for Northampton on March 22nd.†
§ DR. MACNAMARAI remember that Answer perfectly. It is not a reply to this Question. Why was nearly a year allowed to elapse before the War Office gave an explanation of the incident which arose twenty months ago?
§ MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORTI expressed regret for the delay and explained it was caused by the necessity of getting answers from South Africa and from the Agents-General of the Colonies concerned. I am very sorry for that delay.
† See (4) Debates, cxliii,. 785.