§ 52. Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of Health whether in view of the fact that in some cases of poliomyelitis the virus is present in the excreta for anything up to twelve weeks from the commencement of the disease and that flies are known to be capable of carrying such material contaminated with the virus, he will consult the British Transport Commission with a 603 view to ensuring that the untreated discharge from the lavatories of railway trains is no longer discharged on to the permanent way.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Llewellyn) on 29th October.
§ Mr. HastingsAlthough there may be no clear evidence of serious cases so far, must not this filthy procedure inevitably lead to bad results, and be regarded as reprehensible by all decent, clean-minded people?
§ Mr. Walker-SmithWell, Sir, some study has been made of the location and environmental circumstances of notified cases, but that study provides no evidence of the spread of the disease by the present sanitary arrangements in trains. In the absence of any scientific evidence, I do not think I should be justified in asking the Commission to change them.