§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to the statement of the chairman of Messrs. Spillers and Bakers, millers, that they were under large obligations to the Services for their food supplies; and what are the particulars of any contracts which may have been given to this firm by his Department?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI was not aware of the statement referred to. The firm have received from the Admiralty, since the beginning of the War, six contracts for flour, totalling to about 1,600 tons, and two orders for biscuits totalling 220 tons These quantities form only a small proportion of the total quantities purchased during the period in question. The flour was bought on ordinary competitive tenders. The biscuit was ordered under the terms of a contract made before the War, the price being determined by the market price of flour at the time the order was given.