§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has given instructions for the withdrawal of that portion of the leaflet recently issued by the Department of Agriculture suggesting that tuberculous cattle should be fattened for sale as food; whether it is intended that proceedings should be taken against those responsible for the issue of the said leaflet similar to the prosecutions levelled against traders in native meat who purchase bona fide at full price in open market subject to veterinary inspection, animals which are subsequently condemned and confiscated as being tuberculous; and 1044 whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation to remedy this inequality of treatment.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I beg to refer to my reply to the hon. Member's previous Question of the 12th instant.† The Department of Agriculture are arranging for the issue without delay of a revised leaflet, and the passage to which exception has been taken will be so worded as to leave no room for doubt as to its meaning. I have already indicated that the passage in question was not intended to bear the interpretation which the hon. Member places upon it. The cattle referred to are not properly described as tuberculous. The Answer to the second inquiry is in the negative. In reference to the final inquiry, I beg to refer to the reply given by my right hon. friend the President of the Local Government Board to the hon. Member's Question of the 20th February.‡