asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if representations have been made by the Scottish local authorities asking the Government to bring in legislation to deal with the increasing evil of the consumption of methylated spirits as a beverage; and, if so, can he inform the House what action is intended to stop this practice?

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The possibility of preventing the consumption of methylated spirits as a beverage is at present engaging the attention of the Departments concerned, but the problem is one of considerable difficulty.