§ MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that in the case of seven of His Majesty's ships stationed in English waters the contract for the supply of the canteen is held by Maltese firms; will he say why no English firm has in these cases had accepted a tender for the supply of provisions which are mainly English; is he aware that the canteen provisions for these ships are supplied by English firms to the Maltese firms whose tenders have been accepted; will he state the terms and prices of the successful tender of the canteen of H.M.S. "Prince George" and the terms and prices of the tenders put in by English firms for the same canteen; and is he aware that in several of these ships-margarine of a quality which can be bought ashore at from 6d. to 8d. per pound is now being sold to the ship's company under the name of butter at 1s. 2d. per pound.
§ * MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONThe contracts made by canteens, and the prices at which articles are sold, are not matters which come under the control of the Admiralty, and consequently there is no-information available upon the points referred to. The Admiralty lays down certain general principles upon which canteens may be established in His Majesty's ships, but the actual details of management are conducted by the Canteen Committee, with the reservation that the selection of the tradesmen with whom the canteen deals is to be approved, by the captain.