§ MR. BOWERMAN (Deptford)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received copies of resolutions passed at parish meetings of the Island of Alderney, held on 22nd May, 1906, and on 5th July, 1906, and if he will state the replies he gave to the prayer contained in those resolutions begging for his assistance, and for an inquiry to be held into the scheme for importing animals to Alderney for slaughter; whether he has received a letter, dated 31st January, 1907, from certain influential inhabitants of Alderney; and if he will state the nature of the reply sent thereto.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.)The first of the two resolutions to which I understand the hon. Member to refer was passed at a parish meeting on the 2nd May, 1906, and was sent to the Board of Agriculture. The Board's reply was to the effect that it would be their duty to prohibit the landing in Great Britain of animals from the Channel 597 Islands in the event of the admission thereto of animals brought from any of the countries from which the importation of animals into Great Britain is for the time being prohibited. The Board of Agriculture furnished me with a copy of this resolution and of their reply. The second resolution, which was, as the hon. Member states, passed on 5th July, was sent to me through the lieutenant-governor of the island, and my reply was that I had considered the resolution, but that I did not see my way to take any action thereon. I also received, on 10th April last, a letter, dated 21st January, 1907, from certain of the ratepayers of the island, and this was duly acknowledged. On the general question I can add nothing to the replies which I gave to my hon. friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland on the 26th and 29th of last November. †