§ MR. DONALD CRAWFORD (Lanark, N. W.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the complaints of farmers and butchers who are prohibited from selling the carcases or milk of cattle affected with tuberculosis, but receive no compensation as in the case of pleuro-pneumonia; and whether he will consider the expediency of extending the provisions of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts to tuberculosis?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. CHAPLIN, Lincolnshire, Sleaford)Yes, Sir; my attention has been drawn to the matter in question; and I may remind the hon. Member that so long ago as March 2 this year there was a Debate on the subject in this House, and on April 24 I received a large and important deputation on the subject. I stated the views of the Board of Agriculture very fully at that time, and I added that there would be no objection on the part of the Board to make tuberculosis a contagious disease under the Act if it was generally desired. No such representation, however, has been made to me since then, and I am afraid there is nothing which I can add to what was stated at that time. The hon. Member is probably aware that a Commission has been recently appointed to inquire into this question, and it would probably be well to await their Report before further action is taken.