HC Deb 05 March 1896 vol 38 c207
MR. PARNELL

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland will he cause inquiries to be made as to why public houses in country districts in Ireland are not watched more closely by the police or Inspectors to prevent them selling bad or adulterated liquor?

MR. PARNELL

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will cause inquiries to be made into the alleged sale of liquors in low class public houses in some of the country parts of Ireland so badly adulterated as to be dangerous to the public health and injurious to the interests of one of the most important Irish industries; and whether any system of inspection for the purpose of detecting and punishing adulteration at present exists?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

It is the duty of those members of the Constabulary, who have been appointed by local authorities to carry out the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, to make every effort to detect the sale of adulterated liquor, and when there is reason to suspect that adulterated liquor is being sold, samples are at once submitted for analysis, and if it appears that an offence has been committed, proceedings are at once taken. So far as the Inspector General is aware, this duty has been carried out in a satisfactory manner, and no complaint has been made to him on the subject. If, however, he is informed of any case in which the law is not enforced, he will inquire into it.