§ 41. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Health how many medical officers are employed by public health and other local authorities to undertake clinical and bacteriological tests of imported food; what are their scientific qualifications; how many such tests they have taken during the last five years; and with what results, respectively.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Mr. Charles Loughlin)Local authorities do not employ medical officers for this purpose. Medical officers of health employed by local authorities however have powers to examine imported food and take samples for examination by an appropriate laboratory.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Minister realise that this is a very important and urgent matter, neglect of which may expose the British public to the importation of germs and perhaps the danger of epidemics? Will he, therefore, give it close attention?
§ Mr. LoughlinWe realise that this is an important matter. I am conscious that my hon. and learned Friend always has at the back of his mind the epidemic in Aberdeen. We ought to get this in perspective. In the last ten years we imported 600,000 tons of corned beef, which was the subject of the Aberdeen epidemic. It made up 3,500 million meals at a 6-oz. portion. There were 550 non-fatal typhoid cases in that period and no fatal cases. In practice, the risk is of one non-fatal case of typhoid for every 6½ million meals.I can assure my hon. and learned Friend that, although we accept that this is the correct perspective, we are not complacent at all about the position.
§ Mr. CooperIs not this a compliment to the public health legislation introduced by various Conservative Governments?