HC Deb 29 March 1928 vol 215 cc1330-1
14 Mr. GROVES

asked the Minister of Health (1) what price is paid for the hire of calves for inoculation at the Government lymph establishment at Hendon; and whether the calves are returned to the original owner after being used for the inoculation treatment?

(2) in respect to the use of calves at the Government Hendon lymph establishment, whether the butchers who buy the calves after they have been used for inoculation purposes are informed of the fact of inoculation; and whether the butchers offering such calves for sale are compelled to exhibit a notice to the effect that such calves have been used for purposes of inoculation;

(3) if he will state, in connection with the Government Lymph Establishment at Hendon, for what reason rabbits are inoculated; whether the rabbits are bought in the open market or bred within the establishment; how many are inoculated per month; and whether the rabbits so used are destroyed?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I would remind the hon. Member that he has already had full facilities to inspect the Government Lymph Establishment. In the circumstances I would suggest to him that it is scarcely reasonable to ask for further information involving considerable time and labour on the matters of detail referred to in his questions, and that it would be more satisfactory if he paid a further visit to the establishment for which I should be glad to make arrangements.

Mr. GROVES

Has not the public, through Parliament, the legitimate right to possess all the information Members procure from Government institutions?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

To answer the last question which the hon. Member addressed to me on this subject took up the whole time of two clerks for one day. I am bound to say that I do not think it is defensible that public money should be spent on the investigation of details of this kind when it is perfectly possible for the hon. Member to get it for himself.

Mr. MONTAGUE

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of Question 15?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

The answer is in the negative.