40. Colonel THORNEasked whether considerable trouble arose in inducing the butchers of Northampton to accept their allotment of frozen meat last week; and whether they complained that the beef was very old storage, and consisted largely of goods which Messrs. Perfect and Company had inspected and rejected as unfit to be supplied to the Army as food?
§ Mr. CLYNESThere has been a certain measure of reluctance on the part of butchers at Northampton as elsewhere to accept beef allocated to them when such beef fell below the standard of quality to which they have been accustomed. There is, however, no foundation for the suggestion in the latter part of the question, since the beef referred to had only recently arrived in the United Kingdom, and had not been tendered for the use of the Army.
57. Colonel THORNEasked the President of the Local Government Board out of what consignment and what boat was taken by the Ministry of Food the boneless beef alleged by the president of the 16 Southport Butchers' Association to be of a tuberculous character, and which had the glands removed in order to avoid detection; whether the Regulations of the Board insist that the glands must remain in the beef and be so exposed as to be easily inspected; what company shipped the beef; and how did it arise that the inspector of the port sanitary authority of Liverpool failed to detect this beef at the time of landing?
Mr. FISHERThe first and third parts of this question appear to be for the Food Controller. I have no information on these points. As to the second part of the question, the Regulations of the Local Government Board require that meat shall not be admitted which is in such a shape or in such condition as to afford insufficient means of identification with definite parts of a carcase. As to the last part of the question, I may explain that, in regard to certain consignments, it was found desirable, as an emergency measure, to arrange that meat should be examined at the place of destination for retail sale instead of at the port.