§ Sir H. ELVERSTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there is a constant and serious waste of the iron or emergency rations supplied to our soldiers at the front, and that this waste is mainly due to the method of packing now adopted, as the bully beef, tea and sugar are packed in tins which are only partially sealed and 1173W the biscuits are in a calico bag and turn green and mouldy in a few days when not eaten by rats; and whether he will arrange for the ration to be packed in tin cases so that it cannot be spoiled by rain, vermin, or damp?
§ Mr. FORSTERPreserved meat is packed in hermetically sealed tins; tea and sugar are wrapped in waterproof paper and packed in a tin which is not hermetically sealed. The biscuit is sent to theatres of war in hermetically sealed tins and is issued to the troops as required. To prevent deterioration, the biscuit portion of the ration is turned over as often as is necessary by issue instead of bread. The question of packing biscuit as well as other component portions of the iron ration in hermetically sealed tins, has been taken up with the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, France but after careful consideration it has been decided that the size of the tin would make an issue of the biscuit in such a packet, impracticable, and it has been stated that waste of biscuit as issued in the present form can with care practically be eliminated