§ 88. Mr. NEVILLEasked whether considerable quantity of liquid fire extinguishers have, during the last eighteen months, been specified, purchased, and tested for the War Department by His Majesty's Office of Works, acting in accordance with the policy indicated by the Director of Fortifications in respect to the character of such appliances suitable for general purposes; if numbers have been thus satisfactorily and economically purchased to the Office of Works and Board of Trade specifications; if so, for what reason the Quartermaster-General's Department is now either obtaining estimates or placing orders direct for extinguishers that do not comply with the Office of Works or Board of Trade specifications; whether estimates have been requested or have been received recently for the delivery of supplies of extinguishers up to 2,500 in number to be used for general purposes that do not comply with any recognised specification; and, if so, by whose instructions these estimates were being obtained or received and from what manufacturers?
§ Mr. TENNANTSince the early part of the War a considerable number of extinguishers have been purchased in the way described. If any more extinguishers are required in future, it is not likely that the advantage of utilising the good offices of the same Department will be foregone. Nothing is known in the Quartermaster-General's Department of the estimates spoken of, and no instructions have been given to prepare such estimates.