§ Sir G. Foxasked the Minister of Works (1) the number of rat catchers employed by his department in the Metropolitan Police area; and how many premises under their control are at present rat infested.
(2) The number of cases in which one of his Department's inspectors has stopped the Westminster City Council rat catchers and the L.C.C. rat catchers, respectively, from carrying out operations to rid premises of rat infestation; and why his Department does not take action to stop the nuisance arising before it is reported by outside sources.
§ Mr. Tomlinson:The number of rat catchers employed by my Department in the Metropolitan Police area. is 14 and, so far as I am aware, there are no rat infested Government buildings in this area. When the occupants of any Government building report to my Department that the presence of rats is suspected, immediate steps are taken to deal with the vermin. When the report is made by the occupants to the local authority that authority at once notifies this Department. There is the fullest cooperation between my officers 270W and those of the local authorities, and in the case of buildings which are only partly in Government occupation, mutual arrangements are made between my officers and those of the local authority.