§ MR. WATKIN WILLIAMSasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether it is not the fact that in a large number of places the local authorities have neglected to appoint analysts under the sale of Food and Drugs Act, and that in other places whore analysts have been appointed no practical result has followed owing to the absence of any provision for the payment of a salary to the analyst; and, whether the Government are willing, if necessary, to exercise their powers under the Act to make the appointment of analysts compulsory, and also to recommend the adoption of some uniform mode of remuneration?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, that, so far as he was aware, the number of analysts appointed up to this time in counties was 34. They had also been appointed in 42 boroughs. He did not know in how many instances arrangements might have been made to employ them in adjoining districts, as provided by the Act, neither was he aware that no practical results had followed, owing to the absence of any provision for the payment of a salary to the analyst. No doubt, practical results had not followed in all cases, but that was owing to the impossibility of employing the police before the Sale of Food and Drugs Act of last Session; and that was now remedied. If a case of necessity were made out, he would be willing to employ the powers of compulsory appointment vested in the Local Government Board, but he had no information before him which led him to think the time had arrived for the exercise of those powers. As at present 1294 advised, he was not in a position to recommend any uniform system of remuneration.