§ MR. COURTHOPEI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether any slops have been taken by the Board of Agriculture either to prevent or to punish the infringement of Sections 5 and 6 of the Hop Act, 1866, by importers and vendors of foreign hops; and whether the Board 1647 of Agriculture will render these sections effective by instituting proceedings against those who violate their provisions in future.
§ THE TREASURER OF THE HOUSEHOLD (Sir EDWARD STRACHEY,) Somersetshire, S.We are advised that it is not clear that Section 5 of the Act to which the hon. Member refers is applicable to foreign hops and that Section 6 certainly does not do so. In any case the Board are not empowered to take steps either to prevent or to punish infringements of those enactments.