§ Colonel BURTONasked the Secretary of State for War the total quantity and the percentage of British, Colonial, and foreign meat issued to the military forces in the United Kingdom; and what would be the extra cost, if any, entailed to issue home-produced meat in lieu of imported?
Mr. COOPERWith my hon. and gallant Friend's permission I will give figures for the Army and the Royal Air Force together, since the purchase of meat for both Services is made by my Department. During the past financial year some 30,750,000 pounds of meat were purchased for supply to the Army and the Royal Air Force at home. Approximately one-seventh of this quantity was for the Royal Air Force. Of the total, 98½ per cent. was frozen meat of Dominion origin, ½per cent. was fresh meat, and the remaining 1 per cent. was frozen meat purchased by small stations where the origin is not recorded. The extra cost, excluding administrative charges arising from storage, handling and inspection, of supplying home-killed, but not necessarily home-produced, meat in lieu of imported meat, would be approximately £350,000 a year.