§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the resolution recently passed by the Cork Farmers' Association complaining of the hardships inflicted upon suppliers of milk to the city of Cork owing to the method adopted under the Food and Drugs Act, of invariably taking samples for analysis from the morning's milk; whether he is aware that the milk of cows competing for prizes at the recent Birmingham Agricultural Show produced only 2.45 of butter fat in the morning, as compared with 4.4 of butter fat in the evening; and whether, in justice to the suppliers, he will suggest to the proper authority in Cork the desirability of taking samples of both morning and evening milk?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe honourable Member has been good enough to forward me a copy of the resolution referred to. I have no official knowledge that the fact is as stated in the second paragraph, but I observe that the resolution adopted by the Cork Farmers' Association contains a statement to that effect. As regards the third paragraph the Executive Government have no duties to discharge in relation to the enforcement of the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, which is carried out by the local authority. In the city of Cork the local authority is 470 the town council, and I have directed that a copy of the honourable Member's Question be communicated to that body, though I am informed that as a matter of fact samples of milk have been taken both in the morning and evening.