§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, East)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been directed to the recent case in which the Junior Army and Navy Co-operative Stores Company were convicted of fraudulent imitation of Irish hams; and whether steps will be taken to prosecute this firm for infringement of the Merchandise Marks Act.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Right Hon. WALTER H. LONG,) Liverpool, West DerbyProceedings under the Merchandise Marks Acts have already been taken against the company to which the hon. Member refers by the Bacon-Curers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland, with whom my Department has 357 been in frequent communication on this and other similar matters. I venture to think that the result of the action taken by the Association in the case in question was exceedingly satisfactory.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANMight I ask the right hon. Gentleman upon that whether the Government will take any steps to protect the Irish pig-dealers and baconcurers from frauds of a similar character in the future.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTUREWe have taken upon ourselves the responsibility, but in this particular case it was not necessary for the Government to act, because, after communicating with my Department, the Association themselves undertook the prosecution.