Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the failure of importers and suppliers of feeding stuffs to comply with the provisions of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act in the matter of giving a separate guarantee with regard to oil and albuminoids contained in feeding stuffs imported or supplied for use in this country; and whether he can take any action to secure such compliance?
1289W
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe administration of the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1906, rests primarily with local authorities. Any proceedings for securing compliance with the provisions of the Act must be initiated either by the person aggrieved, or by the local authority, or any body or association authorised on their behalf, such proceedings being subject to the consent of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Since January, 1919, five applications for consent to prosecutions for failure to give the prescribed invoice with feeding stuffs have been received by the Ministry. Any failure to comply with the provisions of the Act, to which the attention of the Ministry may be drawn, will be brought to the notice of the local authority for the district in which the offence was committed, in order that the question of instituting proceedings may be considered.