HC Deb 07 July 1898 vol 61 cc146-7
MR. DALY (Monaghan, S.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that in parts of England, Scotland, and Wales rules exist preventing the people from keeping Irish-reared pigs for fattening purposes, and that the enforcement in Great Britain of the rules referred to causes a serious loss to Irish farmers by keeping the price of store pigs and suckers much below their value; whether he is also aware that several pig-dealers have been fined in Great Britain for selling Irish-bred pigs intended to be kept for the purpose of fattening; and whether he will direct that in future Irish-reared pigs, if sound, may be sold for any purpose and in every market in Great Britain?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. W. H. LONG,) Liverpool, West Derby

Local authorities in Great Britain have in some instances considered it necessary to make regulations prohibiting or regulating the movement of swine from Ireland with a view to safeguard their districts against the introduction of disease, and I believe that in some cases pig-dealers have been fined for breach of those regulations. I could not properly withdraw from local authorities the discretionary powers which they possess to thus protect themselves, but I should, of course, bring under their notice any representations made to me on the subject.