§ MR. DAVID MACIVER (Liverpool, Kirkdale)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if he is in a position to state the conditions which he has asked the Argentine Government to comply with in regard to the importation of live stock into Argentina; and whether he will remove the existing prohibition, and now again allow Argentine cattle to be imported into this country for slaughter at the ports of debarkation.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HANBURY, Preston)As my hon. friend is aware, I am bound by law to maintain the existing prohibition until I am satisfied that the Argentine laws with regard to the importation of animals are such as to afford reasonable security against the introduction of disease. I am in communication with the Argentine Government on the subject of the issue by them of regulations to provide such security, and when such regulations are enforced I see no reason why the ports should not be opened to Argentine fat cattle.