HC Deb 27 July 1882 vol 272 cc1975-6
MR. JAMES HOWARD

asked the Vice President of the Council, in respect of foot and mouth disease and to pleuro pneumonia, What results have attended the plan of declaring smaller districts than petty sessional divisions "infected areas;" what has been the offect of the steps taken by the Veterinary Department in January last to check the spread of disease from Norwich Market; whether the circular letter addressed to local authorities in March last, urging them to a more vigorous exercise of the powers conferred upon them by the Act and Orders in Council, has had the desired effect in diminishing swine fever; and, what is the present condition of the country in respect of the three diseases referred to?

MR. MUNDELLA

Early in the pro-sent year the Privy Council adopted the plan of declaring a small infected area round every infected place. The result of this system has been generally successful, as my answer to the next Question will illustrate. With regard to Norwich Market, I cannot do better than read extracts from a letter which I have received this morning from Mr. Clare Sewell Read, the Chairman of the Committee for the county of Norfolk— We have in Norfolk now only one infected place of pleuro and one of swine fever, and no other case of any sort of contagious disease. We have not had such a clean bill of health in Norfolk for 30 years. Since the markets were stopped we have only had one fresh outbreak of foot-and-mouth, and telegraphing up to your office, you promptly declared an infected district and the disease did not escape from it. Norfolk has been entirely free from that disease for some months. With regard to swine fever, I regret to say that, notwithstanding our circular letter, that disease has continued to increase. We have, therefore, felt it necessary to impose further restrictions on the movement and sale of swine in diseased districts by an Order, which came into force a few days ago. Pleuropneumonia has steadily decreased since 1877, in which year there were over 2,000 outbreaks. Last year these fell to 729, and the first six months of the present year show a steady and continuous decline. The outbreaks reported are only 290, against 410 in the corresponding period last year. There is very little foot-and-mouth disease in the country. Ireland and Scotland are entirely free; and the comparatively few cases remaining in England are principally confined to one district.