§ MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he is aware that cattle in the last stages of tuberculosis are occasionally exposed for sale and food in the open market, with consequent risk of spread of the disease and danger to human life; and if he proposes to take any steps, by legislation or otherwise, in order that persons submitting dying diseased cattle for sale may be prosecuted.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) My hon. friend has asked me to reply to this Question. My attention has been called to the subject referred to in it, and in September last I caused a circular to be issued to local authorities bringing the matter under their notice, in order that they might, as far as possible, exercise supervision over the cattle in their 1385 districts with a view to anticipating and so averting possible or intended infringement of the law. I also suggested that suitable officers of the local authority should be instructed to watch closely the cattle markets, slaughter houses, and knackers' yards in the district, with the view of satisfying themelves that no animal, the condition of which appears to render it unfit for human consumption, is disposed of in such a manner that it is likely to be used for this purpose.