§ 99. Major PRESCOTTasked the Food I Controller if he will give the date when he was notified of the fire which took place at No. 24 shed of the Tilbury Docks on Saturday, the 5th instant; whether he is aware that at the time of the fire large quantities of sugar, condensed milk, American hams, flour, cocoa powder, etc., were stored in this shed; whether it has been reported to him that over 2,000 tons of sugar in bags were not touched by the fire but were saturated with water; whether he is aware that over 40,000 of the sugar bags were left in this saturated condition as late as Friday last with streams of syrup oozing out of the broken bags; whether the sugar is the property of the Government; if so, why immediate steps were not taken to prevent it 900 becoming practically a total loss; and, if not, why prompt action was not taken to manipulate the salvage in view of the present shortage of sweetening material?
Mr. ROBERTSNotification of the fire at No. 24 shed of the Tilbury Docks was received by the Royal Commission on Sugar Supply on July 10th. I am advised that the quantity of sugar involved was only 312 tons, and that immediate steps were taken to prevent this stock becoming a total loss. I am satisfied that the question of salvage has been dealt with in an efficient manner. The damage to flour is estimated at £200. The other foodstuffs stored in the shed at the time of the fire were not the property of my Department.