Oral Answers to Questions — British Army. – in the House of Commons am ar 12 Mehefin 1939.
asked the Secretary of State for War the amount of foreign tinned fruit supplied to His Majesty's Army during the 12 months ended to the last convenient date?
Requirements of tinned fruits for troops messing are normally purchased by messing officers out of a messing cash allowance, and no information is available as to the amount of tinned fruit of foreign origin included in such purchases. Of the purchases to meet reserve requirements made during the 12 months ended 7th June, 1939, some 8 per cent, were foreign.
Can we be assured that the tinned fruit that is purchased for the Army will be obtained within the Empire?
Yes. The small percentage of foreign fruit bought for this purpose was due to the fact that there was an insufficient supply of suitable Empire fruit.
The question asked particularly how much was supplied.