Mr. TYSON WILSONasked the President of the Local Government Boards whether his attention has been called to a report given to the Shropshire County Council by the sanitary committee upon a complaint made by the Liverpool sanitary 1339W authority that tuberculous milk was being sent to that city from the Market Drayton district; whether he is aware that, upon investigations being made, one cow was found to be in an advanced state of tuberculosis, the cowhouses and cattle in a dirty and neglected state, and that the diseased cow was sold and removed from the district and lost sight of; and whether, under these circumstances, he will take action in this case with the object of preventing the sale of tuberculous milk and meat?
§ Mr. BURNSI have seen a report to the sanitary committee of the Salop County Council by the county medical officer of health with regard to this matter. According to that report the facts are as stated in the question. I find from the clerk to the Drayton Rural District Council that their sanitary inspector attended the auction at which the cow was sold. He1340W had reason to suppose that it would be sent either to Stoke-upon-Trent or to Newport, and he communicated with the inspectors of both places. He subsequently received information showing that the cow had in fact been sent to Newport and slaughtered there, that it had been found unfit for human food, and had been given to pigs. I understand that the cow had been dry for a month or six weeks prior to its sale, and that as soon as it was found to be diseased it was kept isolated. After the sale the cowshed was thoroughly disinfected. There were, as stated in the question, defects in the cowshed, and the district council caused the attention of the agent of the property to be drawn to them. The defects are being remedied. The case does not seem to call for further action. The local authorities and their officers appear to have taken all practicable steps to deal with it.