§ Mr. WATTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that patients and convalescents in Bagdad and neighbourhood, when ordered by medical officers special diet of eggs, are unable to get such, while the messes of the officers of all regiments there have full supplies of this food; and, if so, will he see that hospitals get the preference in all foods?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have received a report from the Commander-in-Chief in Mesopotamia, which also deals with the question of the supply of beer raised by my hon. Friend in a question on Wednesday last. Shortages in the supply of eggs for hospitals in Bagdad have occasionally occurred, owing to difficulties in ensuring punctual deliveries from the source of supply in the Hillah district, which is four and a half hours by rail distant from Bagdad, and also owing to the prevalence of poultry diseases. To obviate this shortage, efforts have been made to increase the supplies by purchases locally. As regards the supply of beer, there was a shortage in one hospital for a few days during July and August last, and in another hospital stout had to be substituted for beer on seventeen days during October. The Commander-in-Chief states in his report that the shortages of beer or eggs were not attributable to preferential 2141W treatment of regimental messes. I have asked for a definite assurance that the arrangements for the supply are now satisfactory.