§ MR. FIELDTo ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether his attention has been called to a statement made at a meeting held in London in December last to promote the entrance of Canadian store cattle into Great Britain, respecting the percentage of imported Irish cattle alleged to be tuberculised, and to the repetition of this statement recently at Liverpool; whether he is aware that the meat traders who handle Irish fat cattle and also the buyers of Irish store live stock have protested against those statements; and whether he will utilise the officials at his command to inquire into and report upon those allegations.
§ (Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.)Our attention has been called to the statement to which my hon. friend refers. It was purely hypothetical in character, and merely expressed the personal belief of its author. I am afraid it would be impracticable to institute any general inquiry into the freedom of Irish cattle from tubercular disease, but my noble friend will communicate with the Irish Department of Agriculture on the subject.