§ MR. S. SMITH (Flintshire)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has 831 been drawn to the Report of the Liverpool branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with respect to the transit of cattle from Ireland to Great Britain, in which it is stated that no food or water are provided on the boats from any Irish port to Liverpool, that the Irish cattle traffic as conducted involves the keeping of the animals without food habitually for as much as 36 to 48 hours, while occasionally even this period is exceeded, as well as largely without water for periods much exceeding 24 hours, and that the loss of value on the year's trade from the proportion of cattle arriving in a blemished and injured condition has been estimated at not loss than £500,000; and whether the Government is prepared to give effect to the suggestions of the said Report, with a view to the strengthening the Regulations under which this traffic is conducted?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. H. GARDNER,) Essex, Saffron WaldenI have received a copy of the Report to which my hon. Friend refers, and have read it with much interest. The suggestions it contains will naturally receive consideration at the hands of the Departmental Committee which is to consider the whole question of the existing Regulations with regard to the transit of animals carried coastwise.