§ MR. CHAPLIN (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if he can give the House any information as to the working and the general results of "The Swine Fever Act, 1893," and how the number of outbreaks of swine fever, and the number of animals attacked with the disease, since the Act came into force on the 1st of September, 1893, compare with the number of outbreaks and the number of animals attacked with the disease 809 during the 10 months previous to that date?
§ MR. H. GARDNERDuring the 31 weeks which have elapsed since the 1st November last, when the Act of last Session came into force, 2,782 outbreaks of swine fever have been reported to us, and 4,562 swine have died of the disease. The present arrangements for dealing with the disease differ so essentially from those which were previously in existence that any true comparison of these figures with those of the corresponding period of last year is impossible. The mode of working the Act was formulated in Orders, with copies of which I shall be happy to supply the right hon. Gentleman, and I may add that I have invited representatives of certain Local Authorities to a Conference which I have arranged to hold during the present month with a view to ascertain whether the efficiency of the existing arrangements can in any respect be increased, both as regards the action of the Local Authorities and of our own officers.
§ MR. CHAPLINCan the right hon. Gentleman give the number of outbreaks of the 10 months preceding?
§ MR. H. GARDNERI have not got that information, but the actual number of outbreaks reported to the Local Authorities between the 5th of November, 1892, and the 3rd of June, 1893, that is, for the period corresponding to the figures given above, was 1,710. The number of swine that died from the disease was 3,772.