§ Mr. WRIGHTasked (1) the Minister of Health if investigations have been or are being made into a disease called centicular degeneration; if he has evidence showing the connection between this and tilletia tritica or bunted wheat; and, if so, what steps are being taken to remedy the disease;
(2) the Minister of Agriculture if investigations have been or are being made into the existence of bunted wheat grown in Great Britain, in view of the connection which has been established between diseased food and cancer; and what percentage of cattle and pigs are suffering from tuberculosis and the effect on human beings who consume diseased meat?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINInvestigations have been carried out on the subject of bunt in wheat and an effective means of preventing the disease has been discovered. I am sending the hon. Member a leaflet prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries which gives 2617W particulars of the disease and of methods of prevention. The proportion of cattle found on slaughter to be tuberculous is estimated at about 20 to 30 per cent. The proportion in the case of swine is probably not more than 5 per cent. I am advised that human beings are liable to infection by tuberculosis from the consumption of tuberculous meat. I may add that no official investigations have been made by my Department into lenticular degeneration of the brain.