§ 103. Major Beamishasked the Secretary of State for War if he will publish a table showing the scale of Army rations issued in February, 1939, and giving the calorific value of the whole.
§ Mr. ShinwellThere was no fixed scale of rations for the Army in the immediate prewar period. At that time, units purchased their food from the R.A.S.C. and from N.A.A.F.I. from a daily cash entitlement which was reassessed each month. In February, 1939, the amount was 14.45d. for other ranks and 11.99d. for officers. The staple items of diet were purchased at wholesale prices and other items at retail prices. Under this system254W the actual ration purchased by particular units, and consequently their intake of calories, varied.