§ 54. Sir Percy Hurdasked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered representations from the rural district councils of Pewsey and Devizes on their schemes for the salvage of household bones; and whether, in view of the difficulties of salvage schemes in rural areas and in order to ensure their further efforts, he will now qualify the condemnation implied in their inclusion in the Ministry's black list?
§ Sir A. DuncanI am glad to have this opportunity of correcting any impression that the circulation of the list in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 6th August was intended as a general condemnation of the local authorities named therein. The list was of local authorities who had made either nil or negligible returns for bones, and it was made clear that special inquiry was being made in those cases. It now appears that the Pewsey and Devizes Rural District Councils had made arrangements for the collection of bones but had failed to record in their salvage returns the amounts they had collected.
§ Sir P. HurdDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that where councils have a good general salvage record it is better to encourage them to overcome their difficulties without threatening prosecution?
§ Sir A. DuncanCertainly, Sir.