§ Sir J. Lambasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the numerous prosecutions instituted by the County Council of Middlesex during recent years against retail butchers for describing imported meat as English and for failing to label foreign meat in accordance with the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, and especially to fines amounting to £160 inflicted by the Ealing Petty Sessional Bench on 22nd April on eight retail butchers for offences of the above nature; is he aware that similar prosecutions are rarely or never instituted in the London boroughs; and will he consider whether local authorities' powers to enforce the Merchandise Marks Act in relation to the marking of imported food should now be made mandatory instead of discretionary?
524W
§ Mr. W. S. Morrison:I am aware of the facts stated, but do not feel that the position is such as to call for the amendment of the Act suggested by my hon. Friend.