§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that Leaflet No. 69, issued by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, dealing with the prevention of tuberculosis in cattle urges owners of tuberculous cattle, unless the same are of extraordinary value for breeding purposes, to fatten such cattle, for sale as soon as possible; and whether, in the public interest, inasmuch as the sale of tuberculous meat is held to be a criminal offence in the retailer, he proposes to take any action in the matter.
908 (Answered by Mr. Bryce.) In the leaflet in question the Department recommend the fattening of animals which are in the early stages of attack and the flesh of which is not affected, and cannot properly be described as tuberculous meat. The Department do not recommend the fattening of animals in an advanced stage of the disease. Lest there should be any ambiguity, the Department will make the wording of the passage on this point more definite. The leaflet further points out the advantages of tuberculin, by the use of which the presence of tuberculosis may be detected before the presence of the disease can be discovered by the eye.