§ MR. ASCROFTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture what was the number of cattle and sheep in the United Kingdom at the date of the last Return, and what their estimated value; what has been the amount paid as compensation for cattle slaughtered to prevent the spread of pleuro-pneumonia in each year since the passing of the Pleuro-Pneumonia Act of 1890; and, at what rate is such compensation payable?
* MR. LONGThere were 10,753,000 cattle and 29,775,000 sheep in the United Kingdom at the date of the last Return. No official estimate of their value exists, but if £9 per head in the case of cattle and £1 per head in the case of sheep be taken as a fair average, the value of the cattle would be nearly £97,000,000, and that of the sheep £30,000,000. Compensation for cattle slaughtered to prevent the spread of pleuro-pneumonia is payable where the animal is found to be affected with the disease at the rate of three-fourths of the value of the animal before it became so affected, with a maximum of £30. In every other case the full value is paid, with a maximum of £40. The amounts paid in Great Britain only by way of compensation have been £128,000 in 1890, £146,000 in 1891, £43,000 in 1892, £18,000 in 1893, £6,000 in 1894, and £145 in 1895.