HC Deb 05 August 1914 vol 65 cc2004-6

Every local authority may, and when required by the Local Government Board for Scotland (hereinafter referred to as the Board) shall, appoint a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to act as veterinary inspector under this Act, and shall pay to such inspector a salary approved by the Board, and the name and address and salary of such inspector shall be reported by the local authority to the Board immediately on his appointment. A veterinary inspector so appointed shall not engage in private practice in any district in which he holds office save with the consent of the Board. Two or more local authorities may, and if required by the Board shall, combine in appointing a veterinary inspector. No veterinary inspector appointed by the local authority under this Act shall be removable from office, except by or with the sanction of the Board. A veterinary inspector shall, if required by the local authority, nominate a duly qualified substitute, for whom he shall be responsible, and if the local authority shall approve of the nomination, such substitute shall, in the illness or absence of the veterinary inspector, have the same powers and duties as the veterinary inspector under this Act; and the local authority may at any time, with the consent of the Board, withdraw their approval of such substitute, and may require the veterinary inspector to name for their approval some other duly qualified substitute, and the local authority shall report to the Board the name and address of any substitute nominated and approved under this Section. A local authority shall, with a view to carrying on the work pertaining to the office during the period between the resignation or death of a veterinary inspector and the appointment of a successor have power to make an ad interim appointment for such period as the Board may approve. In districts where a veterinary inspector is not appointed in terms of this Section the duties laid on a veterinary inspector under this Act shall be performed by a veterinary surgeon approved by the local authority in terms of Section forty-three of the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1897. Where a veterinary inspector is appointed in terms of this Section, references in Section 43 of the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1897, to a veterinary surgeon shall be construed as references to the veterinary inspector so appointed. The local authority shall, subject to the approval of the Board, regulate the duties, for the purposes of this Act, of the veterinary inspector or veterinary surgeon as aforesaid, and his relations to the other officers of the local authority. A local authority may make arrangements for the bacteriological or other examination of specimens and samples taken for the purposes of this Act, Where the county council of a county appoint a veterinary inspector, being a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, under the Diseases of Animals Acts or any other Act which they administer, the person so appointed may, and if required by the Local Government Board shall, where the local authority is a district committee of the county council, be appointed the veterinary inspector under this Act within that district, and in that event the provisions of Subsections (2) and (3) of Section fifty-two of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1889, shall apply. In the application of the said Sub-section the expression "county medical officer," or "county sanitary inspector," shall be construed to mean "county veterinary inspector."

Amendment made: Leave out the words "Local Government Board for Scotland {hereinafter referred to as the Board)" and insert instead thereof the word "Board."—[Mr. McKinnon Wood.]

Major HOPE

I beg to move to leave out the words "a member" ["a member of the Royal College"], and insert instead thereof the words "one or more members."

Mr. McKINNON WOOD

I accept.

Mr. HOGGE

It, is only fair that we should exactly understand what this is.

Mr. McKINNON WOOD

This is a very simple Amendment. It will allow the local authority to appoint two members instead of one.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made:

After the word "inspector" ["act as veterinary inspector"], insert the words "or inspectors."

After the word "inspector" ["shall pay to such inspector"], insert the words "or inspectors."

After the word "inspector" ["and salary of such inspector"], insert the words "or inspectors."—[Major Hope.]

Leave out the words, A local authority may make arrangements for the bacteriological or other examination of specimens and samples taken for the purposes of this Act. At end of Clause add the words, (2) A local authority may make-arrangements for the bacteriological or other examination of specimens and samples taken for the purposes of this Act."—[Mr. McKinnon Wood.]