§ SIR EDWARD BIRKBECK (Norfolk, E.)I beg to ask the Vice Chamberlain if he can say whether the Lord President of the Council has received a copy of a Report agreed to at a special meeting of the Cattle Diseases Committee of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, again inviting the Privy Council to re-consider their intention to permit the importation of animals from Holland without the safeguard of slaughter or quarantine, which has been insisted on as necessary for the exclusion of contagious disease since 1877; whether in view of his statement that footh-and-mouth disease existed in Schleswig-Holstein as lately as 16th July last, and of the admitted existence of footh-and-mouth disease in other parts of Germany and in Belgium, the Privy Council remain satisfied that Holland can, by means of existing regulations, offer reasonable security against the possible passage of contagion through the Netherlands to this country if no precautions whatever are taken at the ports; whether he can inform the House of the precise date at which the Privy Council became satisfied of the reasonable security of the Netherlands; and, whether, under existing circumstances and in the face of the alarm very generally felt in this country, he can hold out any hope of the revocation of the Order admitting Dutch animals, or will at all events assent to a further postponement of its excecution?
§ THE VICE CHAMBERLAIN (Viscount LEWISHAM, Lewisham)A letter has been received from the Central Chamber of Agriculture on the subject of the importation of animals from Holland without being subject to slaughter or quarantine. The Privy Council were satisfied at the date of the passing of the Animals Amendment Order on March 1 last that the Netherlands Government had complied with the provisions of the 5th schedule to the Act of 1878, paragraph 4, and having regard to the terms of the Act they felt that they had no option but to admit cattle from that country without being subject 1476 to slaughter or quarantine. Since that date nothing has occurred to alter the view their Lordships then took, and under the circumstances they do not propose to further suspend the operation of the Order.
§ SIR E. BIRKBECKArising out of the question may I ask whether, in view of the fact that foot-and-mouth disease exists not only in Germany but also in Belgium, attention will be called by the Privy Council to the Order of the 1st of March, at all events until the Board of Agriculture have considered the subject.
§ VISCOUNT LEWISHAMThe Board of Agriculture will have to be guided by the same Act of Parliament as the Privy Council.