§ 42 and 43. Mr. Peter Griffithsasked the Minister of Health (1) if he will introduce legislation to implement Recommendation No. 8 of the committee of inquiry into the Aberdeen typhoid outbreak;
(2) if he will seek to amend Section 38 of the Public Health Act, 1961, to extend the power of compulsory examination to 1172 persons suspected of carrying a disease such as typhoid.
§ Mr. LoughlinMy right hon. Friend has this matter under consideration.
§ Mr. GriffithsMay I ask whether the hon. Gentleman is aware of the great urgency in this matter, since the experience of Aberdeen, that a small minority of people refused to be examined, was repeated in Smethwick recently, and should there be an outbreak this would be a weakness in dealing with it by medical officers of health?
§ Mr. LoughlinAs I said, my right hon. Friend has this matter under review. The comments of interested bodies have been sought in relation to the Milne Recommendation No. 8, and we are reexamining the question of the Public Health Acts as well as the Food and Drugs Acts. I think the hon. Member can take it that—without my being associated in any way with his colour prejudices—
§ Sir K. JosephOn a point of order. Is it in order for the hon. Gentleman to make a quite gratuitous comment like that in answering a Question on the Order Paper?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am in this difficulty. I did not, strangely enough, hear what the hon. Member said. Would he be good enough to repeat it?
§ Mr. LoughlinI said, "without being associated in any way with the hon. Gentleman's colour prejudices".
§ Sir Knox CunninghamShocking.
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is a quite irregular use of an Answer, and that part of the phrase must be instantly withdrawn.
§ Mr. LoughlinMr. Speaker, I withdraw it immediately.