§ 33 and 34. Mr. Turtonasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether he is aware that the Fourth Green Howards, during the period of their summer camp at Halton, were fed on eggs produced in the United Kingdom, and that during the week ending 23rd July, the eggs they consumed were produced in Lancashire and Yorkshire; and whether he will direct the attention of messing officers to the fact that the cash messing allowances are sufficient to provide the troops with home-produced eggs for their breakfast;
(2) whether any Territorial or Militia camp is supplied with home-produced meat; and whether any of the units in these camps are permitted to commute their meat allowance into a cash allowance wherewith to purchase home-produced meat?
§ 31. Mr. E. J. Williamsasked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered a communication from the Glamorgan Branch of the National Farmers' Union making a request that the forces should be fed on home-produced meat; and what steps he proposes to implement this request?
§ 36. Mr. De Chairasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an assurance that the new Militia shall be fed on home-grown beef, so that their period of compulsory service will not be putting into the pockets of Argentine beef- producers money which might otherwise be going into the pockets of United Kingdom farmers?
§ 37. Mr. Sextonasked the Secretary of State for War the weight and value of home-produced meat supplied to the Militia during the period of training; and the quantity and value of fresh milk supplied by the Government to the Militia in the same period?
§ 38 Colonel Ropnerasked the Secretary of State for War (1) what would be the additional expense, if any, if the Army serving at home was supplied, wherever possible, with home-produced food;
- (2)whether it is the policy of the War Department to provide the forces serving at home with home-produced eggs, and what is the proportion of home-produced eggs at present being supplied;
- (3)what is the proportion of home-produced beef supplied to the Army serving in the United Kingdom; and whether it is the policy of the War Department to provide home-produced beef wherever possible?
§ 44 and 62. Lieut.-Colonel Heneageasked the Secretary of State for War (1) what arrangements have been made to provide the services with beef and mutton from British-produced cattle and sheep;
(2) whether he will take steps to prevent the danger that, if the men now called up for service are fed on imported beef and mutton it will diminish the call on home-grown supplies, as in civil life many of these men were supplied from home-grown sources?
75. Major Whiteleyasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will ensure that the largest possible proportion of food supplied to the military forces in the United Kingdom is home-produced; and that definite instructions are issued to units to that effect?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaAll these questions relate to the purchase of home-produced in preference to imported supplies of food, 2144 and I hope it will be for the convenience of hon. Members if I make a comprehensive reply.
As has been stated on previous occasions, financial and administrative considerations make it impossible to depart from the present policy of relying mainly on Dominion supplies of meat, and it is not practicable to make a new departure in the case of the Militia. The extra cost involved in supplying home-produced meat to the Army and the Royal Air Force would probably rise to approximately £1,000,000 a year. There was a recent trial of Argentine frozen meat in the Aldershot Command at Tidworth for one week only. Otherwise, supply of meat from South America is at present limited to preserved meat, and this is the only source from which it can be obtained with satisfaction as to quality, quantity and price.
The proportion of fresh to frozen beef supplied to the Army in the United Kingdom is about 1 to 1,000. Apart from small local purchases, notably for hospitals, the only home station at which fresh meat is supplied is Aberdeen. There are about 150 militiamen at this depot, and the amount of meat involved to date is some 2,000 lbs. It would be contrary to practice to disclose the price. The suggestion that units might be permitted to use the cash value of the meat in the ration scale for the purpose of buying home-produced meat is impracticable owing to the difference in cost.
In the case of the other items in the ration scale, preference is given to home-produced supplies, so far as this can reasonably be done. As regards eggs and milk, it has previously been explained that these are purchased by units from a cash allowance. Information as to the prices of the various commodities is available at the messing stores in all barrack and camp institutes, and it is not proposed to interfere with the discretion of units. I have no information as to purchases of milk, but the proportion of home-produced to imported eggs used for all purposes is about 1 to 2.
§ Mr. TurtonOn a point of Order. A number of questions have been put down dealing with different branches of food supplies, and the right hon. Gentleman has taken the unusual course of answering all of them, or attempting to answer them, 2145 in one answer. Is that in accordance with the ordinary procedure of the House? Is it not rather awkward to put a question about Estonian eggs and for the right hon. Gentleman to give an answer on an entirely different subject of meat?
§ Colonel RopnerDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that he has answered question No. 38?
§ Mr. GallacherOn a point of Order. As so many ex-soldiers have started poultry farming ought not the right hon. Gentleman to deal with eggs as a separate question?
§ Mr. TurtonArising out of the reply, may I ask in regard to Question 33 and the position of eggs, whether the Secretary of State thinks it fair that some units should be fed on stale Estonian eggs while others are receiving fresh newly-laid eggs from this country?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI have already disposed of that suggestion on a previous occasion. The statement is most unfair to Estonia and to the unit concerned. The eggs were not stale and I informed the hon. Member that a number of officers and men cat the eggs with very good results.
§ Mr. TurtonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that eggs from Estonia must be stale compared with newly-laid eggs from this country? Is he also aware that since he gave me his last reply I have had a large number of letters from those in camp complaining about these eggs?
§ Colonel RopnerMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman to deal with Question 38?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaThe hon. and gallant Member will recollect that I gave the figure, that the cost would be £1,000,000 or more. I could not give the cost of each commodity—they vary from week to week—but I gave it for meat because it was an available figure.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsAs the Government are subsidising British beef to the extent of £5,000,000 does not the right hon. Gentleman think that militiamen and Regular soldiers ought to be able to get some of this commodity? Is he aware that the sale of beef during this year, and 2146 for some years previously, shows a continuous decline?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI have already said that there are certain administrative difficulties. It is desirable that there should be uniformity.
§ Mr. De ChairOn a point of Order. Does not a new point arise regarding these militiamen? Questions have been asked with regard to the Regular Forces, but is it the same thing when you are compelling militiamen to serve their country that they should have to eat somebody else's beef?
§ Mr. SextonMay I ask a supplementary questions—
§ Mr. TurtonOn a point of Order. There are 10 Questions down, and if an hon. Member objects to this procedure surely the right hon. Gentleman is not in a position to deal with all these questions at once?
Mr. SpeakerIf there are 10 questions on the same subject it is permissible for the Minister to answer them together.
§ Mr. TurtonThat was not quite my point of Order. If an hon. Member objects surely the right hon. Gentleman is not in a position to answer all the questions en bloc? They deal with different aspects of the same problem.
§ Mr. SextonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of these militiamen have fed, reared and looked after beasts all their lives and now are not to have the pleasure of eating them?