§ MR. J. P. FARRELL (Longford, N.)To ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the small number of cases of swine fever now occurring in Ireland and the character of the present restrictions, especially as they affect buyers attending Irish fairs, and having regard to the fact that the pig-buying and exporting season begins about 1st October, he will take steps either to annul the present Order entirely or so modify it as to cause a minimum of inconvenience to purchasers of pigs at Irish fairs.
(Answered by Mr. Ailwyn Fellowes.) The collection of pigs at fairs in Ireland, 920 and their consignment to Great Britain for store purposes, must necessarily be attended with considerable risk of the introduction and spread of swine fever, so long as it continues to exist in Ireland; and inasmuch as thirty outbreaks of that disease have occurred in Ireland this year, of which seventeen have been reported during the last six weeks, I regret that, under existing conditions, I do not see my way to modify the Order to which the hon. Member refers.