§ 25. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Food the numbers and types of animals that were found to be so diseased, either wholly or in part, as to be unfit for human consumption during last year; and what proportion in each case this represented.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAs the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. FreemanCan the right hon. and gallant Gentleman give the proportion by number of the animals as well as the proportion by weight?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI would remind the hon. Gentleman that it took a very long time to provide the answer to this question. The proportion ranges from about 1.4 to under 1 per cent.
§ Following is the information:
§ Figures for the year ended 31st December, 1952, are not yet available but for the year ended 30th September, 1952, the numbers of animals wholly condemned after slaughter were as follows:
| — | Number of carcases wholly condemned | Percentage of total number of animals slaughtered |
| Cattle | 33,383 | 1.41 |
| Calves | 21,273 | 1.71 |
| Sheep and lambs | 22,252 | 0.33 |
| Pigs | 224,441 | 0.43 |
§ Records are not yet available from all local authorities of the number of carcases of which parts only were condemned but we have records of the total weight of all meat condemned, including parts of carcases, and the percentage this represents of the total weight of meat produced and slaughtered during the period was as follows:
| Cattle | … | … | 1 43 | per cent |
| Calves | … | … | 1.41 | " " |
| Sheep and lambs | … | … | 0.32 | " " |
| Pigs (a) | … | … | 0.55 | " " |
§ (a) Does not include condemnations of individual cuts of otherwise sound bacon pigs, records of which are not maintained.