87. Earl WINTERTONasked the Secretary of State for War, on the basis of the average price for British and imported meat, respectively, which has prevailed during the past three months, what would be the estimated yearly difference in the cost of supplying the Army with these two different categories of meat?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. T. Shaw)It is estimated that the increased annual cost which would be incurred in supplying the Army and Air Force at home with fresh beef on the basis of prices prevailing for the last three months would be about £340,000. The Noble Earl will appreciate, however, that the cost of frozen beef during the last three months has been high, and that a comparison of the price of fresh beef with that now being paid for frozen beef under the current contracts, which were made in August last, would show a larger figure as the excess cost of supplying fresh beef. In order to avoid any misapprehension I would add that practically all the imported frozen meat supplied to the Army and Air Force is of Dominion, and not of foreign, origin.
Earl WINTERTONIn view of the smallness of the figure involved, as shown by the right hon. Gentleman's answer, is he giving further consideration to the point of whether he cannot accede to the almost piteous appeals which are being made by the Minister of Agriculture to "buy British beef"?
§ Mr. SHAWWe made frequent protracted and careful investigation, but have been unfortunately driven to confirm our previous decisions.