§ MR. J. M. WHITE (Forfar)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies—(1) whether he has received from the Canadian Government a copy of a Resolution of the Canadian House of Commons expressing in the strongest possible manner the belief that pleuro-pneumonia has not existed in the past and does not at present exist in Canada; (2) whether the Canadian Government have asked that a Commission of experts be sent to Canada to investigate the matter, all expenses to be paid by the Dominion, and every facility to be placed at the disposal of the Commission; (3) whether the High Commissioner for Canada has protested against the injury to the Canadian cattle trade with other nations than the United Kingdom whilst the health of Canadian cattle remains unvindicated; and (4) whether 434 he will, without reference to proposed legislation in the United Kingdom, appoint a strong Commission to investigate the matter as requested?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. WALTER LONG, Liverpool, West Derby)The reply to the first three Questions of the hon. Member is in the affirmative. With regard to the fourth, I would say that the reasons which have led me to the opinion that no advantage would be gained by the adoption of the proposal are fully explained in the printed correspondence which has been presented to the House, and the further consideration which I have given to the Question has only strengthened the conclusion at which I had previously arrived. I regret, therefore, that I do not see my way to alter my decision in the matter.