§ 24. Lieut-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the Agriculture Research Council has yet considered to what extent injury may be done to pigs and other animals from the breeding point of view by consumption of offals arising from the slaughter of caponised chickens; and whether he will make a statement on the subject.
Mr. AmoryI am advised that it is possible that if the remains of caponising pellets in the necks of caponised fowls found their way into animal feeding stuffs, such feeding stuffs might be harmful to livestock. It is unlikely that any harm would arise from other parts of the carcases of caponised fowls. My Department's Advisory Leaflet on Chemical Caponisation, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. and gallant Friend, draws attention to the risks in animal feeding and stresses the need to remove the site of the implant. I believe these are well understood by the industry and no cases of damage from this cause have come to my notice.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-DavenportBut if the consumption of offals containing the heads and necks of caponised cockerels can have the very grave effect of sterilising great strong pigs, will not the consumption of these parts, boiled down into sauces, soups or concentrates, have the same effect on human beings?
Mr. AmoryI hope very much that my hon. and gallant Friend will be very careful not to absorb any himself.