§ 24. Mr. THOMASasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that 1,000 bales of bacon belonging to Messrs. Van-den-Burghs, Limited, of Mark Lane, were condemned at the Great Eastern Railway depot, Minories, E.C., on Wednesday, 20th June, after lying there for five weeks, and were then sold for manure to & Mr. Waddington, of Stratford, at £9 per ton; that on Thursday, 21st June, 500 bales of bacon belonging to Messrs. Barnes and Heywood were condemned at the same place and sold to Messrs. Harris and Son, soap makers, Bow, and that since then 1,200 bales of bacon belonging to Messrs. Hey- 738 wood, Dennis, and Barnes, London Bridge, have been condemned, and a further 800 bales which have been lying at the station for the past four weeks are still there, going rotten; and whether this bacon has been held up in order to maintain the market price, which is such as to place this article of food out of the reach of many poor people?
§ Colonel GIBBSA considerable quantity of bacon shipped to Messrs. Van-den-Burghs and other agents had to be used in the manner described by the hon. Member. Owing to the difficult conditions of transport this bacon reached London in such bad condition that although freely offered for sale it found no market. Arrangements have been made to accelerate both rail and sea transport, which it is hoped will enable this valuable food to reach this country in a sound condition.