§ MR. COURTHOPEI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether, owing to the strong opinion of agriculturists that a full inquiry should be immediately instituted into the whole subject of swine fever, and the fact that such an inquiry must necessarily occupy 1543 many months, the President of the Board of Agriculture will reconsider his decision on the subject, and will appoint a departmental committee on the subject forthwith.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe suggestion that the Departmental Committee should be appointed was very carefully considered by my noble friend, but he came to the conclusion that before any step was taken in this direction it would be better to await the results of the new Orders which are about to be issued and are based, as he has already indicated, upon actual experimental investigations conducted by the veterinary officers of the Department.