§ Mr. KILBRIDEasked the Chief Secretary as representing the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, how many prosecutions for selling margarine as butter the Department's inspectors have undertaken in London and Glasgow, and how many convictions have been obtained; whether a trader in St. Pancras sold an inspector margarine as butter while two charges were pending against him for similar offences; whether he was subsequently
1400Wconvicted of all three offences; and will he consider the desirability of advocating facilities for passing the Margarine Bill seeing that it passed its Second Reading last Session?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe local authorities instituted proceedings in fourteen cases in London and in nine cases in Glasgow in which samples purchased as Irish butter by officers of the Department, acting in co-operation with officers of the local authorities, proved on analysis to be margarine. Convictions were obtained in all cases. The Department have no information in regard to that part of the question which relates to a trader in St. Pancras. As regards the last paragraph of the question, the Bill relates to the United Kingdom, and not to Ireland only, and the question as to facilities for the passage of the Bill should be addressed to the Prime Minister.