HC Deb 19 October 1949 vol 468 cc527-8
6. Air-Commodore Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for Air how the scale of rations issued to His Majesty's Royal Air Force vessel "Bridlington" compares with that issued to Royal Naval vessels.

Mr. A. Henderson

I will, with permission, circulate a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Air-Commodore Harvey

Would the right hon. Gentleman say whether the scale of rations issued to the "Bridlington" is equivalent to that issued to Royal Navy personnel, and, if not, would he give that information to the House?

Mr. Henderson

I have the table here, and it will be circulated, but it is quite impossible to say generally as it varies with various items of the rations. In the case of sugar, for instance, the ration for the "Bridlington" is better than that for the Royal Navy; on the other hand, in the case of meat, the issue is greater for the Royal Navy than for the "Bridlington."

Sir Wavell Wakefield

Can the Minister state why there are these differences, and why there should not be the same rations for both Services?

Mr. Henderson

I would not like to say why there are all sorts of discrepancies between the Royal Air Force, the Army and the Royal Navy.

Mr. William Teeling

What about the difference in gin and cigarettes?

Mr. Henderson

I have not included gin as a food.

Mr. Teeling

What about cigarettes?

Following is the table:

Comparison of scales of rations in H.M.R.A.F. Vessel "Bridlington" and the ceiling figures for the consumption of these foods in sea-going ships of the Royal Navy in home waters:

Rationed Item H.M.R.A.F. V. "Bridlington" Oz. R.N. Sea-going Ship Oz.
per week per week
(a) Meat (Bone In) 31 39½*
Offals — 5½
(b) Bacon 3 —
Bacon and ham — 8
(c) Butter and margarine 16¼ 9½
(d) Sugar 17¾ 15
(e) Cheese 4¾ 3½
(f) Tea 2¼ No maximum allowance fixed
(g) Milk, fresh 56¼ fl. oz. No maximum allowance fixed
(h) Milk, tinned 6¼ No maximum allowance fixed
* The Naval ration of meat includes tinned meats drawn from Admiralty stocks against an equivalent consumption of fresh meat. The R.A.F. however, are permitted to obtain tinned meats in addition to the normal meat ration but within the total cash entitlement.

The above scales cover nationally rationed commodities but in addition un-rationed commodities may be purchased to bring the total daily cash entitlement for both rationed and unrationed items to 2s. 3¼d. per head for H.M.R.A.F. Vessel "Bridlington" and 2s. 3.2d. per head for messes in small H.M. ships.