HC Deb 02 July 1906 vol 159 cc1422-3
MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will state what steps are being taken to prevent American tinned meats and foods, now in the hands of importers or wholesale dealers, from being relabelled and sold as British produce.

MR. JOHN BURNS

I would refer my hon. friend to Section 6 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875, which prohibits the sale to the prejudice of the purchaser of any article of food which is not of the nature, substance, and quality of the article demanded by him, and also to the provisions of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1887, which make it an offence to apply a false trade description to any goods. A false trade description includes a false description as to the place or country in which the goods were produced, and the term "goods" includes anything which is the subject of trade.