§ 34. Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for Air for what reason 800 blankets, recently offered for sale by auction by No. 16 Maintenance Unit, Stafford, were slashed down the middle and mutilated before being offered for sale.
§ Mr. BirchNo blankets were deliberately mutilated, but they were old and worn, and many were torn and holed.
§ Mr. de FreitasIs it not a fact—as shown by the information which I have given to the right hon. Gentleman—that these blankets were advertised for sale with no indication at all that they were not good blankets? Is it not a fact that men came from all over the country to bid for them at an auction, and that this was a considerable waste of their travelling time? Was not the impression certainly given to these people that the blankets had been deliberately mutilated?
§ Mr. BirchWe should not have sold them if they had been good blankets; it would have been a wasteful thing to do. In actual fact, the conditions of sale are perfectly clear. It is open to anybody who wishes to do so to inspect the goods before buying them, and people would be well advised to do so.
§ Mr. de FreitasWill the right hon. Gentleman ensure in future that an indication is given that the goods are not good and serviceable, in order to save people the waste of travelling time?