§ DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)To ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state who were the contractors who supplied 1,350,816 tins of jam for South Africa, each tin containing, as described in the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, 12 ounces of jam instead of 1lb., as per contract, and whether he will state who were the War Office inspecting officials who passed the goods on receipt.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Arnold-Forster.) With regard to the first part of the hon. Member's Question, I have to say that I have made inquiry as to the names of the contractors, but have not yet received the information. The Agent-General for South Australia has informed me that the contracts were made in Australia, and that he is not acquainted with the names of the contractors, but that they shall be furnished. I have no doubt that I shall receive similar information with respect to the other contracts made in the Colonies. The supplies furnished by the Australian Colonies were inspected by the Agricultural Departments of those Colonies before shipment. 443 As regards the second part of the Question, under war conditions time did not admit of the weighing or detailed examination of such supplies at Durban, and the examination by supply officers at that port was confined, necessarily, to seeing that the goods had not suffered any damage during sea transit and were apparently fit for issue to the troops. The question as to whether there was any shortage on the total amount ordered is under investigation, and I am not prepared to anticipate the result of the inquiry.