§ 50. Mr. HOUSTONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has or can obtain statistics showing the amount in tons of foodstuffs growing, harvested, and stored, including households, consumed, destroyed, or spoilt by rats and mice in Great Britain and Ireland, respectively, in any twelve consecutive months; whether he can state the value in money of commodities of all kinds consumed, destroyed, or spoilt by rats and mice in Great Britain and Ireland, respectively, in any twelve consecutive months; whether he is aware of the fecundity of rats and mice; can he state the number of rats one pair and their progeny can produce in twelve months; whether he is aware that rats and mice are germ and microbe carriers of the worst kind; and whether he will take legislative steps to enforce the reduction or extermination of these pests by means of rewards to or fines imposed upon county, borough, or parish councils, or other public bodies or individuals?
§ Sir R. WINFREYNo exact figures of the losses caused by rats and mice to foodstuffs are available, but the Board are aware that the fecundity of these animals under certain conditions is great, and that rats may disseminate disease. The destruction of rats has been urged upon farmers by the Board, and they have issued instructions for the purpose in a leaflet which has been widely circulated, a copy of which I am sending the hon. Member. It does not appear that the present time, when professional rat-catchers are scarce, is a convenient one for the introduction of compulsory legislation on the subject.
§ Mr. HOUSTONAs it was impossible to hear a word of the answer I will put the question down again.