HC Deb 21 May 1900 vol 83 cc735-6
MR. PRICE (Norfolk, E.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether the letter of the 9th inst. from the Secretary of the Board to the Norfolk County Council is to be taken as an expression of the intention of the Board to altogether prohibit, for a time, the movement of live stock out of the whole county of Norfolk unless the local authority and the police under their control are able to give full effect to the Board's regulations in the limited district which is scheduled under the Foot-and-Mouth Order; and whether he will consider the effects of such action to a number of persons entirely innocent of any offence.

MR. SOAMES (Norfolk, S.)

I beg at the same time to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the proceedings before the Loddon Bench, on the 16th inst., at which a letter from the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture to the local authority was read, stating the Board's intention to prohibit altogether under certain circumstances the movement of live stock out of the county of Norfolk; and whether that letter of the 9th inst. was sent under his authority and with his approval.

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

There is unfortunately no doubt that the orders which we have made in connection with the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease have not been carried out in Norfolk with the same completeness and success as have obtained elsewhere. I fully recognise the stringency of those orders and the loss they occasion, but I have felt justified in imposing them in order to prevent what would be a great national disaster, and I have on several occasions considered what course should be taken in the event of their not being efficiently enforced. My views on the subject were therefore well known in the Department, and although I did not personally see the letter referred to before it was dispatched, it was in entire harmony with my feelings and wishes in the matter.

MR. SOAMES

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture, seeing that twenty-eight days have now elapsed since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the county of Norfolk, and in view of the fact that the Loddon and Clavering Union is separated from the infected district by a broad river with no bridges across it, whether he can now remove all restrictions upon the movement of stock in that union.

* MR. LONG

I do not think that it would be safe for me as yet to further contract the area of the scheduled district, which is not now a very large one, and I regret therefore that I am unable to adopt the suggestion of the hon. Member.