§ 57. Captain EDENasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the recent outbreaks of psittacosis in Warwickshire; whether any inquiry into the causes of the disease is being instituted; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. All recent alleged cases of this disease in this country that have come to the notice of my Department have been studied, and in some instances medical officers of the Ministry have taken part in the investigations. The question of further administrative action will be considered as soon as the inquiries now in progress are completed.
§ Captain EDENIs it a fact that there is at present no obligation to report these cases once they have been diagnosed by the medical officer of health, and does the right hon. Gentleman not think, in view of the seriousness of the disease, that notification ought to be made compulsory?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThat may be so, but I imagine in all these cases of relatively rare diseases that, as soon as they occur, they do, in fact, report them to the medical officers of health.
Dr. DAVIESWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the possibility of inviting all port medical officers of health to pay particular attention to all parrots being brought into this country?