§ MR. LIDDELL (Down, W.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that in twenty-seven weeks ending July 8th there were 444 cases of swine fever in Great Britain, and that during the same period there were only twenty-one cases in Ireland; and whether, in view of the fact that young pigs are admitted into Ayrshire from England, where swine fever is much more prevalent than in Ireland, he will cancel the regulations which at present prevent farmers in Ireland from availing themselves of the Ayrshire market, and thereby place them on the fame footing as English farmers.
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. AILWYN FELLOWES, Huntingdonshire, Ramsey)I regret that under existing circumstances I am unable to withdraw the regulations to which the hon. Member refers. Ireland is not yet free from swine fever, and experience has shown that the conditions under which the trade in store pigs brought from that country is necessarily carried on are much more conducive to the spread of the disease than is the ease where pigs are moved into the county in comparatively small numbers at a time. I may add that swine brought into Ayrshire from England are subject to the provisions of the Swine Fever (Regulation of Movement) Order of 1903, which require that no swine shall be moved into Ayrshire without a licence, which is only granted if they have been for twenty-eight days on the premises from which they are to be moved. On arrival 934 the swine must remain for twenty-eight days at the place of destination.
§ MR. KILBRIDE (Kildare, S.)Is it not the fact that swine fever is more prevalent in England than in Ireland?
§ * MR. AILWYN FELLOWESThere are more cases in England, no doubt.