§ Mr. JOWETTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Frank Knowles, the Government's meat expert and inspector, only obtained his certificate from the Royal Sanitary Institute after his appointment to his present post at the War Office, and having regard also to the Sanitary Institute's regulation that a candidate for examination for the special meat and food inspector's certificate must already be an actual holder of a certificate as sanitary inspector or inspector of nuisances from the Royal Sanitary Institute or some other recognised examining body, he will state if any pressure was brought to bear by his Department upon the institute to admit Mr. Knowles to examination without his having complied with the institute's conditions; and, if not, will he ascertain from the secretary of the Sanitary Institute on what grounds they consented to abrogate their own regulations in favour of Mr. Knowles, seeing that they are enforced with great care against other persons?
Mr. BAKERI am afraid that the hon. Member is under some misapprehension. Mr. Knowles has been employed by the War Office for over five years, and I am informed that he obtained the certificate referred to five years ago. No pressure whatever was brought to bear on the Royal Sanitary Institute in the matter.