§ MR. JOHN WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention 1573 has been called to an inquest held by Dr. Waldo on 18th February, 1908, on a man named Shaw, who was stated to have died of glanders contracted while shipping worn-out horses to Belgium and Rotterdam for human consumption; whether the evidence showed that such horses were returned in the shape of sausages and tinned meat, and that though such food might be cooked it was Impossible wholly to destroy the germs; and whether, under these circumstances, his Department will take immediate action with a view to removing possible danger of spreading disease.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSMy attention has been called to the inquest referred to. I understand that one of the witnesses thought that to some small extent sausages made abroad from horseflesh were exported to this country, but I am informed that he did not say that horseflesh was returned to this country in tins. I am advised that the bacillus of glanders if present in meat, would not be destroyed if the cooking of the meat was imperfectly carried out, but that cooking which heated the meat to 55° Centigrade for ten minutes might kill the bacillus. As I stated in reply to a previous Question the importation of sausage meat is receiving my consideration in connection with the regulations which I am pre-paring under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act of last session.