60. Dr. DAVIESasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that in the year 1924 the county of Brecon, under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, examined only four samples of milk, of which three were found to be adulterated, and that in 1925 they examined eight samples, all of which were found to be adulterated, and that in the years 1926 and 1927 no samples of milk were examined, in spite of the evidence of the unsatisfactory results of the previous two years; and what steps have been taken to draw the attention of the county authorities to these facts, and what reply, if any, has been made to such representation?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINSo far as regards samples submitted to the Public Analyst the facts are as stated in the question. It is the practice in this county to have most of the milk samples tested informally by the Inspectors and only to send samples to the Public Analyst where the results of the informal tests show reason to suspect adulteration. During the four years in question over 1,100 samples were tested by the Inspectors in the county of Brecon. I have impressed on the County Counei1 the importance of submitting an adequate number of unsuspected samples to the Public Analyst, and they have promised that in future a certain number of samples will be regularly submitted to him.
Dr. DAVIESIs it not the case that these figures of informal samples are not included in the annual report of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, and, there- 1079 fore, the whole of that report is vitiated as we cannot judge how many samples have been taken in any place and the percentage of adulteration in each case?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI cannot agree that it vitiates the whole report, but I do agree that it is unsatisfactory to depend on informal samples, and I desire to see more samples analysed by the public analyst.
Mr. BECKETTWill the Minister of Health, in view of the importance of a pure milk supply, not consider introducing legislation permitting municipal authorities to supply milk?