Captain FABERasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will 1506 state whether he can promote legislation to prevent people suffering from consumption from being employed in the milk trade?
§ Mr. BURNSThe subject is under my consideration, but I am not at present prepared to state what action will be taken.
Captain FABERCan the right hon. Gentleman give us an approximate date as to when he will be able to supply us with the information?
§ Mr. BURNSIt is a matter which will be dealt with by regulation, and I hope soon to be in a position to mention it.
Captain FABERasked the President of the Local Government Board if he can state, seeing that the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis has reported on the dangers of impure milk, what milk, if any, is coming in from abroad; and whether steps will be taken to closely examine such milk; and what such steps are?
§ Mr. BURNSThe importation of fresh milk from abroad has not yet been resumed. When this occurs, further series of samples of this milk will be taken by the Board's inspectors, and will be examined for the presence of impurities, including tubercle bacillus.
Captain FABERCan the right hon. Gentleman state how often this milk will be examined in the year—more than once?
§ Mr. BURNSAll the consignments of milk are subject to local inspection, to that of the local medical officer of health, and to that of the Customs medical officer, whose judgment is given on it.
§ Mr. WATTCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether there is uniformity of standard in the examination of this milk, or whether the standard is lower in other countries than here?
§ Mr. BURNSAs I informed the hon. Member some nine months ago, it is very difficult to get a uniform standard in milk.
§ Mr. SANDYSCan the hon. Gentleman say whether inspection of dairies takes place in foreign countries from which this milk is imported?
§ Mr. BURNSThere is no reason to suspect that where this milk comes from the standard of sanitation and of purity is lower than here.