§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the migratory habits of rats and the difficulty of organising measures for their destruction except over a 235 wide area, the Board encourage such measures to be adopted by county councils as well as by metropolitan and municipal borough councils, and rural and urban district councils, or whether, in the event of county councils taking measures for the destruction of rats in their areas, they will render themselves liable to be surcharged the cost involved thereby?
§ Mr. BURNSIt is the duty of the county medical officer of health to inform himself, as far as practicable, respecting all influences affecting or threatening to affect injuriously the public health of the county, and he is to consult with the district medical officers of health whenever the circumstances render this desirable. The county medical officer of health is thus able to co-ordinate the measures which are taken by the several local authorities for the destruction of rats in districts which are infected or threatened with plague in rats. The county council are not, however, empowered to expend money on the destruction of rats.