§ *MR. OSWALD (Oldham)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the fact that on 29th July 1896, the magistrates sitting at Royton, near Oldham, convicted and fined a grocer and provision merchant for selling butter containing 20.49 per cent. of water, the 844 magistrates stating that over 16 per cent. of water was avoidable; and, whether, in view of the fact that the Report of the Select Committee on Food Products Adulteration of this Session reported (page 28) that any standard for water under 20 per cent. would be unfair to the producers of butter, and that the question of a standard for water in butter was not free from difficulty, and having regard to that Committee's proposal for the constitution of a court of reference, the Local Government Board will issue circulars giving directions to local authorities to suspend further prosecutions with regard to water in butter, not fraudulently added, until the question of the standard for water in butter has been definitely settled by Parliament?
§ *MR. T. W. RUSSELLThe President has not been able, up to the present, to give any consideration to the Report of the Food Products Adulteration Committee, but hopes to do so during the Recess. Pending the consideration it will not be possible to issue any circular of the character indicated.
§ *MR. OSWALDIs it not the case that the Committee declined to set up any standard as to the moisture in butter?
§ *MR. T. W. RUSSELLYes, that is so. But the Committee refrained from doing so, because the opinion was unanimous that all questions relating to standards should be referred to the Board of Reference proposed to be set up by the Report.
§ *MR. OSWALDAs this is a matter of great importance to the trade, will the Local Government Board receive any representations from the trade on the subject during the recess?
§ *MR. T. W. RUSSELLWe shall be glad to receive any representations.