§ 40. Mr. P. A. HARRISasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he has received reports from Colonel Peace, commanding the Army Service Corps, North Midland District, as to the chaff and wheat straw supplied to Ashby Mill, Leicestershire, for the horses of the Food Production Department; and what action he is taking?
§ Mr. FORSTERReports regarding this matter have been received in the War Office, and, in consequence, the Chief Inspector of Forage was sent to make full inquiry yesterday. The result of his investigations has not yet been received.
§ Mr. HARRISIf I submit a sample of the straw supplied to the right hon. Gentleman, will he have it inspected?
§ Mr. FORSTERYes; but I am not sure that my judgment will be very valuable. The chief inspector, as I informed my hon. Friend, has been sent down to inquire into the matter on the spot.
§ 71. Mr. HARRISasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the railways are being used to send chaff and straw to Leicestershire from Somersetshire, Cardiff, and Cheshire; whether he is aware that such chaff and straw have been condemned as useless at Ashby Mill during April; and whether he will arrange with the appropriate Department to purchase supplies locally, so as to save the use of the railways at a time when there is a shortage of railway transport?
§ Mr. FORSTERMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. There has not been time to make inquiries into the particular cases mentioned by the hon. Member. At the present time there is a shortage of forage, and it does happen 2138 occasionally that hay, not of a suitable class for shipment overseas, but suitable for civilian requirements and surplus to the needs of the community of the district in which it was grown, has to be moved substantial distances. I can, however, assure the hon. Member that the most careful attention is given to the conservation of railway facilities and mileage. I dealt with the second part of the question earlier, in answer to Question No. 40.