§ 55. Mr. Leachasked the Minister of Health in view of the many loopholes in the evidence adduced in support of allegations against raw milk in connection with outbreaks of scarlet fever and typhoid fever, before he sanctions any general claim for the compulsory 2407 pasteurisation of milk, whether he will have a searching inquiry made into the allegations made against raw milk?
§ Sir K. WoodI am not aware to which particular outbreaks of these diseases the hon. Member refers. I am satisfied that in all recent cases of this kind which have been investigated by my Department and in which the outbreak was traced to the consumption of raw milk, the evidence on this point was conclusive. The Cattle Diseases Committee of the Economic Advisory Council which reported in 1934, reviewed the question of the danger of the spread of these diseases through the medium of milk, before they recommended compulsory pasteurisation in large towns, and I do not consider it necessary to institute any further inquiry into this question.
§ Mr. LeachDid the Minister not agree that it is better to have your milk clean and unpasteurised, with live bacilli, if there should be any, rather than pasteurised when the bacilli have been made corpses?
§ Sir K. WoodI will carefully ponder over that question.