HC Deb 21 March 1905 vol 143 cc635-6
DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the circumstances attaching to the destruction of emergency rations and meat and vegetable rations in South Africa, as stated at page 257 of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, were such as to have called in any instance or instances for the striking off the War Office contractors' lists of any one or more of the firms supplying the rations in question; and, if so, will he give the names of such firm or firms, with the reason for removal.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.)

As regards emergency rations, it is not proposed to order any more rations of the same description. As regards meat and vegetable rations, the treatment to which they were subjected, which was exceptional and, owing to war conditions, unavoidable, rendered it impossible to prove that the contractors were in any way responsible for the deterioration of the supplies. The rations were put up in this country under the supervision of the Quartermaster-General and satisfactorily passed inspection before shipment. Under these circumstances the question of the removal of the firms from the list does not arise.

DR. MACNAMARA

Am I to understand that no contractors' names have been removed from the list on account of the condition of the rations sent to South Africa?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

No. I am informed that is the case.

DR. MACNAMARA

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can now say whether it will be possible to lay Papers showing the instances in which rations, stores, and supplies generally despatched to South Africa during 1899, 1900, and 1901 were destroyed or returned as unfit in quality or short in amount, with the reason for their destruction or return, and the names of the contractors supplying such stores in each case in which the loss involved was £1,000 or upwards.

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

I have given directions for the preparation of the Return giving the details asked for, so far as the information in our possession admits, but I am not sure that in all cases the particulars asked for were placed on record by the military boards who condemned the supplies.

DR. MACNAMARA

Will the Return be laid in the terms of the Question?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

Yes, if the hon. Member will move for it.