§ Q5. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Prime Minister if he is aware of Recommendation 4(iv) in the Milne Report 398 Command Paper No. 2542 that the present division of responsibility between the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food so far as meat and meat products are concerned should be revised with regard to the point at which responsibility passes from one Department to another; and what steps he has taken or plans to take to implement that recommendation.
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. This minor recommendation will be taken into account in the Government's consideration of future arrangements for meat hygiene generally.
§ Mr. HughesI thank my right hon. Friend for that Answer. Will he take very urgent steps to make sure that we avoid in future the confusion and delay which occurred last October between the two Departments mentioned in the Question and also the Department of the Postmaster-General, which might have had very disastrous results but for the scientific skill of the Medical Officer of Health of Aberdeen and his staff?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friends are in close co-operation on the question of Recommendation 4(iv) and I think that everyone in the House recognises the remarkable job that was done in Aberdeen in all these very difficult circumstances.