HC Deb 13 March 1900 vol 80 cc735-7
MR. SOAMES (Norfolk, S.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture *See The Parliamentary Debates (Fourth Series], 5th April, 1894, Vol. xxii., page 1451; 21st February, 1896, Vol. xxxvii., page 824; 28th March, 1898, Vol. lv., page 1066. what period has elapsed since the last outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the county of Norfolk; and whether he can now withdraw all restrictions from the petty sessional districts of Diss, Earsham, Swainsthorpe, and Loddon and Clavering, or from any of those districts.

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

The last outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Norfolk was discovered by one of our inspectors on the 20th February. By an order issued yesterday, which is to come into operation to-morrow, the restrictions have been withdrawn from the petty sessional divisions of Diss and Earsham, and they have been somewhat modified in Swainsthorpe and Loddon and Clavering, with a view to meet the more urgent necessities of the stock owners concerned.

MR. H. S. FOSTER

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that the outbreak of foot and mouth disease took place at Fritton, in a place locally called the Island, naturally isolated by the sea, Lake Lothing, the River Waveney, and Breydon Water, with a tract of marshes following the course of the river with a width of from one to four miles, and at this time of the year entirely bare of stock; whether he can see his way to open for the sale of all stock, under a declaration and licence, all Suffolk south of the Waveney; and, in any case, whether he is now able to considerably reduce the scheduled area, having regard to the consequences to the farmers of any continued prolongation of the present restrictions. I beg also to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware of the loss which is being inflicted upon farmers, graziers, and other agriculturists by the restrictions imposed by his Department in Norfolk and Suffolk in connection with the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in North Suffolk some time ago, and particularly by the wide area over which these restrictions prevail, extending for thirty miles and upwards from the infected area; whether the time has now arrived for largely modifying these restrictions; and, in particular, whether he will consider the advisability of limiting the infected area to five miles from the point where the outbreak occurred, and of authorising holders of stock in the scheduled area but outside the infected area to send their cattle to markets such as Ipswich, Colchester, or London, the cattle being marked with the broad arrow and slaughtered within four days.

*Mr. LONG

In reply to my hon. friend, I would say that it is the case that an outbreak of foot and mouth disease occurred at Fritton, the geographical features of which are doubtless correctly described in the question; but my hon. friend will remember that five other outbreaks have since occurred in other parts of the scheduled district, and one in Bedfordshire. By an Order to come into operation to-morrow, the petty sessional divisions of Beccles and Bungay, with the borough of Bungay, have been withdrawn from the scheduled district, and the restrictions have been somewhat modified in that portion of Suffolk still included therein. At the moment no further relief can be afforded with safety.