§ MR. CROMBIE (Kincardineshire)I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he is aware that the United States of America, while admitting store cattle from Canada, have put restrictions on the importation of hay and straw as liable to carry disease; and whether the Board of Agriculture intends for the safety of our flocks and herds to restrict the importation of hay and straw.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYSo far as we are aware, there are no restrictions on the importation of hay and straw from Canada into the United States, but hay and straw from European countries are required to be disinfected before importation is allowed. The desirability of adopting some similar measure in this country has frequently been considered, but the evidence of actual danger is not clear, and the inconvenience to the trades concerned would be out of all proportion to the risk involved. There is, of course, power to seize, detain, or destroy hay or straw in specific cases where there is reason to believe that disease might be introduced.