§ MR. SILCOCK (Somersetshire, Wells)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the losses which are being incurred by the farmers of this country owing to the number of carcase of tuberculous pigs which are being destroyed by order of the medical officers of health without any compensation being paid to the owners; whether he is aware that, in the majority of cases, there is no indication that a pig is suffering from 1607 tuberculosis until an examination of the carcase is made; and whether he is now prepared to bring in a Bill to provide that some compensation shall be given to farmers for the losses which they sustain when animals which have been apparently healthy are destroyed in the interests of the public health.
§ *MR. JOHN BURNSI am aware that carcases of tuberculous pigs are destroyed, and that this involves loss to the owners. I am also aware that in some cases the disease is not recognisable during the life of the animal, but this is not always so, and it must not be assumed that the cause of the disease is necessarily not preventable. I cannot promise to introduce a Bill for the purpose suggested.
§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)Is it not the fact that there is no proof the disease is communicable from animals to man?
§ MR. JOHN BURNSThe obiter dictum of the hon. Member is, I think, in conflict with the deduction to be drawn from the Report of the Royal Commission