asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what investigations his Department has made into the effects of clostridium botulinum in fish farms either managed by his Department or independently owned; what lessons have been drawn from the German experience; and what steps he is taking to warn both those involved in fish farming and also individuals who may cure fish privately of the dangers of this bacteria.

My Department and those of my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and Social Security and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have together made a full investigation of the problem caused by the presence of clostridium botulinum in farm-reared fish. The literature following the German experience of 1970 was studied in the course of that investigation. The findings of the investigating group are now being considered and it is expected that codes of practice for use both in fish farms and in the storing and processing of the fish for human consumption will be formulated.