§ 67. Mr. Thorneasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether he can give any information in connection with the tops of scrap metal lying about Hackney Marshes and in Plaistow; and why those dumps of metal have not been collected?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works (Mr. Hicks)When my attention was first drawn to the London County Council dump of debris or filling at Hackney Marsh, about which I have seen articles in the Press, I had an immediate inspection made. From reports which I have now received I am unable to substantiate in any way the allegations which have been made of the large quantities of metal salvage lying there. The face of the tipping dump is nearly a mile long. The dump itself contains roughly 1,250,000 cubic yards of debris representing over one-third of a million lorry loads. My officers report that, over the whole of the surface of the tip, no copper, brass or tram lines could be seen, the metal articles generally being small tins or old dustbins and other metal of very poor value as scrap metal. All reasonable steps are taken to segregate any appreciable amounts of useful scrap when the lorries are emptied. As a mater of cold fact, the galvanised tanks and pots shown in the Press photograph had been pulled clear of the shoot by the foreman in charge of the site to be put aside for salvage. I have no knowledge of any considerable dumps of scrap metal in Plaistow, but if the hon. Member will be more precise in regard to their situations I will cause further inquiries to be made.
§ Mr. ThorneIs my hon. Friend aware that the scrap in question in Plaistow is on a piece of waste land close to the L.C.C. main sewer embankment, Balaam Street?
§ Mr. WakefieldIs the hon. Gentleman aware of the ornamental railings surrounding Crown property in Regent's Park, which could with advantage be taken away, and will he take steps to remove them?