CO129-562-12 Dysentry epidemic- recommendation to enforce compulsory pasteurization of milk 7-6-1937 - 17-8-1937 — Page 57

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designed to secure to the departments of agriculture the power to co-ordinate the activities of local authorities (paragraphs 172-174).

(2) The chief veterinary officer should only be appointed or dismissed by the local authority with the approval of the departments of agriculture. Eventually, all veterinary officers in public employ- ment should be required to have taken a diploma in veterinary state medicine (paragraphs 175–177).

(3) The veterinary officers of local authorities who are responsible for veterinary inspection should also be responsible for duties in connection with eradication (paragraph 178).

(4) Close co-operation should be established between the veterinary service and the sanitary authorities. But the functions of sanitary authorities under the milk and dairies orders should not be diminished (paragraph 179).

(5) Certain boroughs, other than county boroughs, are constituted local authorities under the diseases of animals acts. Their duties in this connection should be transferred to the appropriate county councils (paragraph 180).

(6) The testing of herds with tuberculin for the purposes of the milk designations order should be transferred to the expanded veterinary service. The granting of licences for the production of designated milk should also be made a function of county councils (paragraphs 181, 182).

(7) Only whole-time officers should be employed in the veterinary service, except where, by reason of the difficulty of securing adequate veterinary facilities, the agricultural interests of the district would be likely to suffer if a whole-time officer were appointed. The employ- ment of part-time veterinary officers should also be permitted as a temporary measure during the period of expansion (paragraph 183).

(8) A full veterinary service with the above duties cannot be established immediately, as it would require about 300 veterinary surgeons. Steps should be taken to provide these (paragraphs 184, 185).

A scheme for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis.

(9) The scheme for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis will require the active supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, and should provide for:-

(i) the institution of a list of tuberculosis-free herds (accepted herds), tested with tuberculin from time to time under official supervision, and declared to be free from bovine tuberculosis;

(ii) the provision of free advice and free tuberculin-testing for owners of herds who agree to make bona fide efforts to free their herds from tuberculosis, or who have established free herds;

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(iii) financial help, where necessary, by way of loans or the guarantee of loans, to approved owners for the purpose of undertaking expenditure required by the veterinary inspector as necessary to eradication;

(iv) the securing to owners of disease-free herds of a higher price

for their milk than that obtained by other owners;

(v) the taking of administrative measures designed to secure that tuberculosis-free cattle from accepted herds should be moved about the country and exposed for sale without running the risk of being brought in contact with other cattle;

(vi) the adjustment of regulations governing the production of graded milks and the grades of milk officially approved, and the making of regulations relative to the compulsory pasteurisation of milk with a view to increasing the incentive to farmers to eradicate tuberculosis from their herds (paragraphs 186-204).

(10) The functions to be performed in England and Wales in regard to eradication by the Ministry of Agriculture should in Scotland be performed by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland (para- graph 205).

Regulations governing the grading of milk and pasteurisation.

(11) All milk sold for consumption in liquid form should be required to be sold under an official designation. The designation of the milk should be clearly marked on the vessel in which it is sold to the public, a distinctive colour being prescribed for marking each designated milk. No liquid milk should be sold that does not attain a fixed standard of cleanliness, or pre-pasteurisation standard, at the farm. This standard should approximate to that at present required for grade A milk. In addition, all milk should conform to the definitions of one of the following designations:-

(1) Certified milk, namely, milk which has not undergone any process of heat-treatment and is derived from tubercle-free herds. (This milk should not be required to be bottled on the farm.)

(1) Pasteurised milk, namely, milk which has undergone, once only, a process of heat-treatment approved for this purpose by the Ministry of Health or the Department of Health for Scotland, and has undergone no other process of heat-treat- ment. Pasteurisation should be permitted only in a plant licensed for the purpose.

(i) Sterilised milk, namely, milk which has been raised to the boiling-point or higher in a plant licensed for the purpose, and which has undergone no other process of heat-treatment.

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