§ SIR WILLIAM BULL (Hammersmith)To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, in view of the fact that a means of increasing and improving the fresh, and canned meat supply of the United Kingdom and checking the operations in this country of the Beef Trust of the United States, is prohibited by the action of the Board with regard to the scheme for establishing a foreign animals' wharf and abbatoirs in Alderney, whether he will state what steps he proposes to take.
§ (Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) I am unable to add anything to the Answer which I gave to my hon. friend the Member for the Cirencester Division on this subject on the 12th ultimo. †The establishment of a wharf at Alderney for the landing and slaughter of animals which are not allowed to be brought to Great Britain on account of the danger of the introduction of disease is open to grave objection, and we are not prepared in any way to countenance the proposal.
§ SIR WILLIAM BULLTo ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the scheme, and a Report drawn up as to the risks of infection of foot-and-mouth disease which have influenced the Board of Agriculture in their action, having regard to the actual dangers which already exist in the Channel Islands, of which the Board takes no notice.
(Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) I see no reason for the institution of any† See (4) Debates, cIxx., 1432.247 further inquiry into the proposals to which the hon. Member refers. We are under a statutory obligation to prohibit the landing of animals brought from countries in which foot-and-mouth disease exists, and we are not prepared to countenance in any way the reception of such animals in the Channel Islands for slaughter there. The measures taken for the prevention of the introduction of disease into those islands are in some respects even more stringent than our own, and, so long as this is the case, we should not be justified in prohibiting the importation of animals there from, subject of course to the safeguards set out in the listing Orders on the subject.