§ 34. Sir FORTESCUE FLANNERYasked the total quantities of bread, meat, and other provisions used per annum by the British mercantile marine; whether the whole of these provisions are obtained in this country, or whether any part of them is required under the Defence of the Realm Act to be obtained by each ship during her stay in ports abroad, especially in those countries from which food is imported; and whether steps will be taken to ascertain the facts fully with a view to framing such Regulations as will economise the supply of all ship's food available for consumption in this country?
Mr. ROBERTSI regret that it is not possible to give the statistics asked for in the first part of this question. It is the wish of the Government to encourage the purchase of ships' stores at ports abroad instead of in the United Kingdom, and communications have been addressed to representative shipowners' associations in this sense. The question of further action in the matter is receiving careful consideration by the Board of Trade and by the Ministry of Food.