HC Deb 29 March 1905 vol 143 cc1521-2
CAPTAIN NORTON

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can state what proportion of the 1,034,532 emergency rations, and of the 4,537,090 meat and vegetable rations, referred to in the last Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General as destroyed in South Africa, had been closed and insulated with non-deleterious paper by the patent process of the Maconochie's Solderless Tinning Syndicate, Limited, and what proportion hermetically sealed with solder in the ordinary way.

CAPTAIN NORTON

I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can state what proportion of the 497,125 emergency rations condemned at home and what proportion of the 365,600 of similar rations replaced by the contractor, many of which latter were subsequently found to be unsound, although guaranteed for two years and not sent out of this country, had been closed by the patent process of the Maconochie's Solderless Tinning Syndicate, Limited; and what proportion had been hermetically sealed with solder in the ordinary way.

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

All tins of emergency rations supplied during the war were hermetically sealed with solder in the ordinary way. Certain tins of meat and vegetable rations supplied during the latter part of the war period were closed without solder, but the number is not known. So far as can be ascertained, about two-thirds of the tins were soldered and one-third were solderless.

DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman thought it desirable to refer to General Butler's Committee the question of adopting the one form or the other.

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

No, Sir. It is not, I think, a suitable matter to refer to the Committee.

CAPTAIN NORTON

asked if the right hon. Gentleman would give the names of the gentlemen connected with the syndicate, seeing that the Secretary to the Admiralty suppressed that portion of his Question to him.

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

I will endeavour to answer a Question if the hon. and gallant Member will give notice of it.

*MR. MACONOCHIE (Aberdeenshire, E.)

May I ask whether the contractors paid for the material to replace the emergency rations at Woolwich, whether they were specially inspected, and whether the Government received the money for all material supplied?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER

Yes; I believe the facts are as stated by the hon. Member.