58. Mr. SHIRLEY BENNasked the President of the Local Government Board 1584 if he can state what precautions have been taken to prevent the cargo ex ss. "Somali" conveying into England germs of the plague; whether the cargo has been disinfected; and whether he can assure the House that the plague cannot be introduced into England through the cargo being discharged into lighters and afterwards distributed from a vessel which requires to be afterwards disinfected?
Mr. FISHERNo disinfection of the cargo of ss. "Somali" has been carried out, or is considered necessary. Precautions were required to prevent the risk of plague-infected rats reaching the shore with the cargo. With this object the ship remained moored in the river and the cargo was discharged bale by bale from the deck into lighters alongside. This proceeding accords with the International Sanitary Convention (Paris, 1912), and offers the best security available against the risk referred to in the question. The disinfection of the vessel, after the cargo was unloaded, was undertaken with the main object of destroying rats in the ship. The quarters occupied by (She plague cases were disinfected as soon as the men had been removed to hospital.