§ 22. Mr. LOUIS SMITHasked the First Lord of the Admiralty in respect of how many contracts for potatoes made by the Admiralty during the past six months have the supplies contained a proportion of foreign potatoes; and what steps have been taken with a view to ensuring that contracts shall not be made for potatoes in future unless a satisfactory undertaking is given that only home-grown potatoes will be supplied unless there are insufficient quantities available in the country?
Mr. ALEXANDERIt is not possible to reply definitely to the first part of the inquiry. Running contracts exist at over 30 ports and in view of the present high prices and relative shortage of homegrown potatoes it is probable that supplies under any of these contracts—like supplies to the civil population—have included some imported potatoes. As regards the second part of the question no undertaking of the indefinite nature indicated is obtained, but contractors are expected to supply home-grown when supplies of good quality are reasonably obtainable, and there is no doubt that in normal seasons the great bulk of the supply is home-grown.
§ Mr. SMITHDid the right hon. Gentleman consult his colleague the Minister of Agriculture with regard to the supply of potatoes, as I think we can assume that there are plentiful supplies at the present time?
Mr. ALEXANDERI think consideration of the position in the last few weeks would show that if there had been an adequate supply of home-grown 1615 potatoes of the right quality there would not have been the run there has been on imported potatoes.