  We have obtained 40 high-resolution circular spectropolarimetric measurements
of 12 slowly-pulsating B (SPB) stars, 8 Beta Cephei stars and two Be stars with
the ESPaDOnS and NARVAL spectropolarimeters. The aim of these observations is
to evaluate recent claims of a high incidence of magnetic field detections in
stars of these types obtained using low-resolution spectropolarimetry by Hubrig
(2006), Hubrig (2007) and Hubrig (2009). The precision achieved is generally
comparable to or superior to that obtained by Hubrig et al., although our new
observations are distinguished by their resolution of metallic and He line
profiles, and their consequent sensitivity to magnetic fields of zero net
longitudinal component. In the SPB stars we confirm the detection of magnetic
field in one star (16 Peg), but find no evidence of the presence of fields in
the remaining 11. In the Beta Cep stars, we detect a field in xi^1 CMa, but not
in any of the remaining 7 stars. Finally, neither of the two B-type emission
line stars shows any evidence of magnetic field. Based on our results, we
conclude that fields are not common in SPB, Beta Cep and B-type emission line
stars, consistent with the general rarity of fields in the broader population
of main sequence B-type stars.
