§ Sir J. HARMOOD-BANNERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will say under what circumstances and for what reasons preference was given in the Prize Court sale, of 24th February, by Messrs. Mills and Sparrow, of lard to aliens over British subjects by requiring the latter to sign an official bond not to export during the War, which bond was not required from alien purchasers, thus giving them the opportunity to overbid British subjects by having a market in Holland to which the lard purchased in the Prize Court was sent?
1377W
§ Sir GEORGE CAVEMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. I am informed by the Admiralty Marshal that a bond is required from all purchasers of prize goods, but that in the case of the particular purchaser referred to in the question the bond was varied so as to allow the purchaser to export the goods to Holland in order that they might there be manufactured into margarine which was to be returned to this country. Care was taken that the condition should be complied with, a representative of the Government in Holland being directed to attend the purchaser's factory and to satisfy himself that the goods were, in fact, so manufactured into margarine and the margarine returned to the United Kingdom for comsumption there.