§ MR. HUNT (Shropshire, Ludlow)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the fact that neither the regulations lately issued by the Local Government Board nor any other regulations prevent the importation and consumption of frozen, chilled, or tinned beef and mutton or of cured bacon or ham derived from tuberculous animals, and seeing that it is considered necessary that animals killed in this country suffering from this disease should not be allowed to be used as food, he will undertake to introduce legislation next session to protect the public from the danger of eating diseased imported foreign meat as well as from the danger of eating diseased meat of animals killed in this country.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I do not think that it will be requisite to introduce legislation on this subject. It could be dealt with by regulations under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, should it be found needful to do so. I have already issued regulations under the Act as regards fresh pork coming from abroad, but I doubt whether there is the same need for regulations as respects cured bacon or ham. As regards beef and mutton, I understand that the requirements of foreign meat inspection are, as respects this class of moat, comparable with British standards, so that at present it does not seem necessary to issue regulations with regard to it. But if it should be found that tuberculous beef and mutton were being introduced into this country owing to laxity of inspection abroad I should be prepared to reconsider the matter.