§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement immediately on the sale of contaminated tins of salmon in the West Midlands.
§ Mr. MoyleFour elderly people were admitted to hospital in Birmingham last Monday suffering from botulism. The 691W source of the disease was almost certainly a can of salmon. Further investigations are being carried out but in the meantime my Department has issued a public warning advising against the sale and consumption of cans of salmon produced in the United States of America, including Alaska. This warning at present applies to all cans irrespective of the type or colour of the salmon, size of can, batch number or brand. No suspicion is attached to canned salmon from Canada. All local authority environmental health departments have been informed and my Department is receiving full co-operation from trade interests. I have received no reports of the continued sale of cans of this salmon.