§ MR. YERBURGHI beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the statement contained in the Report of the Assistant Inspector to the Veterinary Department of the Board of Agriculture for 1891, that—
Swine fever existed in 1891 in 47 counties in England. 12 in Scotland, and seven in Wales 5,595 outbreaks were reported, 32,349 swine were attacked during the year, of which 15,229 were slaughtered, 14,112 died, 3,399 recovered, and 340 remained diseased at the end of the year:and of the fact that effectual dealing with swine fever is of vital importance 1383 to the agricultural labourer, he will re-consider his decision to appoint a Select Committee to inquire into the subject; and will, without delay, in accordance with the resolution passed unanimously at the recent Agricultural Conference, include swine fever in the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts?
§ MR. GARDNERThe object of the mover of the resolution to which the hon. Member refers was, as I understood it, to recommend not that swine fever should be included in the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts, for this is already the case, but that the execution of the law and the payment of compensation for swine slaughtered should be transferred from the Local Authorities to the Board of Agriculture, as was done with great advantage in the case of pleuro-pneumonia. The conditions under which swine fever is contracted and spread are, however, very different; and before I can propose legislation on the subject, I deem it essential that an investigation should be made by a Departmental Committee which can elicit the views of the various interests concerned. A similar Committee sat prior to the introduction of the Pleuro-Pneumonia Act. I may add that a very considerable diminution of the disease was shown during 1892, the number of swine attacked being only 13,957, as against 32,349 in the previous year. The disease, in Let, reached the lowest point recorded since 1884.