§ MR. LAMBERTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if he can state how many outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred this year, whether more or less than occurred to this date last year; whether his attention has been drawn to the danger of introducing the disease by the importation of hides, skins, and offal from countries infected with the disease; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent such infection in this country.
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HANBURY,) PrestonTen outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred this year. In the corresponding period of 1900 there were seven, but the counties 233 affected this year are only two as against three last year. The possibility of the introduction of the disease by the importation of skins, hides, and offal, as well as by hay and straw, and in many similar ways, has been the subject of frequent inquiry and attention, but while the evidence of actual danger is not clear, especially in the case of the imports mentioned in the question, the inconvenience to the many trades concerned would be out of all proportion to the] risk involved, and there is no precedent for a general prohibition of such imports. It is, of course, the duty of the Customs under the Foreign Animals Order of 1896 to seize, detain, and, if necessary, destroy in specific cases, where there is reason to believe that disease may be introduced.
§ MR. LAMBERTWill the right hon. Gentleman see that in any cases of susspected infection the hides are disinfected?
§ *MR. HANBURYOf course.