§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the outbreak of scab amongst the flocks of the United Kingdom, especially in England, he will consider the advisability of introducing a measure for the compulsory dipping of sheep for the prevention of scab, having regard to the fact that sheep scab has been prevented in New South Wales by such compulsory legislation.
(Answered by Mr. Hanbury.) Although there was a slight increase in the number of outbreaks reported in Great Britain last year as compared with 1901, it was still very much lower than in any of the last ten years before 1901. I hope, however, that the effect of the Bill which I have announced my intention to introduce to enable local authorities to enforce the compulsory dipping of sheep will lead to a further reduction of the disease. I gather from the information before mo that the legislation in New South Wales to which the hon. Member refers did not do more than require the compulsory dipping of infected and suspected sheep, and local authorities are already empowered to require this to be done under the Sheep Scab Order of 1898.