§ MR. SOAMES () Norfolk, S.I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the area scheduled in Bedfordshire, in consequence of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, is smaller than the area scheduled in Norfolk and Suffolk; and, if so, whether the Norfolk and Suffolk area may be at once reduced to the dimensions of that scheduled in Bedfordshire.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. LONG,) Liverpool, West DerbyThe Bedfordshire scheduled district is somewhat smaller than that declared in Norfolk and Suffolk, but in the latter case the circum stances rendered it much more probable that the disease had extended locally, and this view has been confirmed by what has since occurred. The result of the contraction of the district would be to enable markets to be held and stock moved freely over the country out of the area from which the restrictions were withdrawn, and I do not consider that this could be allowed consistently with safety against the spread of the disease.