24. Dr. DAVIESasked the Minister of Health if his attention has been directed to the uniformity in the number of articles examined under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts for the years 1923, 1924 and 1925, suggesting a rule-of-thumb method for taking these samples by the competent authorities; and will he give instructions that in future the activities of these authorities should be concentrated upon taking a larger number of samples of the foodstuffs of the poor, where recent statistics show an adulteration of over five per cent. of the samples analysed?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMy hon. Friend will see that while there may not be much variation in the total number of samples analysed, the returns show a considerable variation in the distribution of sampling. In any event, I am not empowered to give instructions to local authorities as to the proportion of samples to be taken of various articles of food.
Dr. DAVIESWill the right hon. Gentleman draw the attention of the authorities to the necessity for examining common articles of food, having regard to the fact that over 1,000 cases of pepper-were examined: in each year with only two or three adulterations, whereas there were comparatively few analyses of such highly adulterated articles as polonies, sausages, potted meats and so forth?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe local authorities have to carry out their duties under the law, and they cannot confine themselves to selected articles, whether those articles are used as foodstuffs or not.
Dr. DAVIESWill the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration that foodstuffs are of more importance from the point of view of adulteration than pepper, which in over 1,000 examinations only showed two or three adulterated specimens?