§ Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Health if his Department has received representations from the Surbiton District Council with regard to fruit exposed for sale and found to contain arsenic, and what action is being taken in this regard?
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§ Mr. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAINYes, Sir, I have received representations from the district council. The present Imported Food Regulations enable port and riparian sanitary authorities to seize and destroy any imported food which is unfit for human consumption, and I do not think that it would be practicable to strengthen these Regulations in any way short of imposing an absolute prohibition on the importation of apples—a measure which would not, in my view, be justified in the present circumstances.
I take the opportunity of adding that I am not aware of any case in which an excessive quantity of arsenic has been found on home, or Empire-grown apples.