§ SIR THOMAS DEWARI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of discarded military tents which have been sold in South Africa, and the amount which they realised; were they disinfected, and were they sold by tender or by public auction; and will he also state the number of hospital tents sold, and say whether any, and, if so what, steps were taken to secure their disinfection.
§ MR. BRODRICKAbout 2,760 tents are known to have been sold, of which only four were hospital marquees. They were sold by auction and tender. The amount realised was £970. Under the medical regulations medical officers are authorised to destroy public property on sanitary grounds when necessary, and are also in possession of stringent instructions regarding disinfection. I have no reason to suppose these instructions were disregarded.