§ 4. Sir Thomas Cookasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under what circumstances public funds were used to 2049 purchase Norfolk rabbits in excess of controlled prices for consumption at a British Council Club.
§ Mr. LawThe Club in question, which was set up jointly by the Greek Government and by the British Council, purchased rabbits from a Norfolk dealer from August, 1943, onwards. The weekly accounts for these purchases show that the price was in every case within the limit fixed by the Ministry of Food. In February, 1944, however, the vendor began to send in supplementary bills marked "expenses," which were at first paid, but in March, 1944, were queried by the Director of the Club, and upon the vendor's failing to give a satisfactory reply, the purchases were discontinued. I may add that the Inspector of the Ministry of Food who visited the Club expressed himself as satisfied that the Club had acted quite innocently in respect of the transactions in question.
In any case, no public funds are involved in this transaction.