§ Mr. CLARRYasked the Minister of Health if he will state reasons why his Department cannot issue the requisite Ministry of Health blue form to the port authority at Newport regarding the fumigation of vessels proceeding to United States of America ports; and is he award that these blue forms are issued to adjoining Bristol Channel ports, and that the omission of Newport has already caused inconvenience and unnecessary additional expense to ships loading at Newport for the United States of America?
§ Sir K. WOODAs regards the first part of the question, I may say that the application for the medical officer of health of the port sanitary authority at Newport to be authorised to grant certificates as to the fumigation of ships, which would be accepted by the public health authorities in the United States of America, was only received by my Department on the 19th instant. My right hon. Friend hopes there will be no undue delay in coming to a decision, but it will be necessary to communicate with the United States authorities. As regards the second part, it is the fact that the medical officers of health of some ports in the Bristol Channel have already been authorised to grant these certificates, but my right hon. Friend has received no representations that inconvenience or additional expense are caused to ships loading at Newport for the United States until the last few days.