HC Deb 22 April 1884 vol 287 cc284-6
MR. HICKS

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Whether he has received information that 101 bullocks were sent on Monday, 14th April, from Liverpool to North Road Station, on London and North Western Railway, in the county of Cambridge, and then driven along the public roads to Wimpole; that fifty of these bullocks were then sent on by road to Cambridge, and that thirteen of the remaining fifty-one were on Friday 18th reported as having the foot and mouth disease, and, when inspected the same day, were found to be suffering from that disease in an advanced stage; and, whether it is a fact, as reported, that the above bullocks were part of a cargo recently arrived from Canada?

MR. DODSON

The only information which we have on the subject referred to in this Question is obtained from the Inspector of the Local Authority. It is to the effect that 15 head of cattle out of 51 were found, after their arrival at Wimpole, to be affected with foot-and-mouth disease. The Inspector remarks that these animals came by train from Liverpool on Tuesday morning on the London and North Western line, and that they came from America. They could not have come from the United States, because all animals arriving from there are slaughtered at the port of landing. The last cargo of animals which arrived at Liverpool from Canada were landed on April 12th, and were found quite sound on landing.

MR. J. LOWTHER

Is the right hon. Gentleman in a position to say where the diseased cattle did come from?

MR. DODSON

I have given the House all the information I have.

MR. J. LOWTHER

But will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries as to where the cattle did come from?

MR. DODSON

The cattle, we are told, came from Liverpool, and the Inspector said they came from America. I have shown that that could not be so, and I have given the date of the arrival of the last cargo from Canada. If I receive any further information, I shall be very glad to give it to the House.

MR. J. LOWTHER

What I asked was, whether the Government would undertake to make inquiries—not take hearsay evidence?

MR. HENEAGE

It is very easy to find out where they came from.

MR. HICKS

At any rate, will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries as to what became of the rest of this cargo of 101 bullocks?

MR. DODSON

I will put the House in possession of all the information I can obtain.

MR. CHAPLIN

I beg to ask whether we are to understand that the Government have not already begun to make inquiries; and whether the right hon. Gentleman is not in a position to give information as to prevalence of the foot-and-mouth disease in the United States and in Canada?

MR. DODSON

As far as our information goes, there is no foot-and-mouth disease whatever in Canada. I believe it is not known in Canada, which has been a free country for years. As regards the United States, we have no information that there is at present any foot-and-mouth disease.

MR. JAMES HOWARD

Will the Government make a thorough investigation into the subject, and inform the House of the result on Thursday next?

MR. DODSON

I have already stated that I will procure all the information I can.

MR. STORER

A great outbreak of the disease has also taken place in the Midland Counties, in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, owing, in a great measure, to animals coming from Ireland. Cannot some inquiry be made about that?

COLONEL KING-HARMAN

Is it not a fact that there is no disease in Ireland at all?

MR. DODSON

The last Report we had from the Irish Government, a week or 10 days ago, was that Ireland was entirely free; but I am sorry to say there have been reports within the last two or three days of animals having come to Bristol from Ireland which were found some days afterwards infected with disease. The Inspector of Bristol has been asked to report on the subject.

SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT

Then the question arises, have these ships been properly cleaned? I would like to ask whether any real precautions have been taken in this matter?

MR. DODSON

The Privy Council require that ships as well as trucks should be thoroughly disinfected every time they are used. Not long since the Irish Government, after communication with the Privy Council, issued instructions for an extraordinary process of disinfection in the case of ships employed between Great Britain and Ireland; and, according to the information received on the subject, shipowners have willingly complied with those recommendations.