§ MR. REMNANT (Finsbury, Holborn)I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether, in view of the very stringent regulations now in force at the Foreign Cattle Market at Deptford and elsewhere, which prevent the possibility of any disease being communicated to any British cattle or sheep, and especially in view of the recent rise in the price of butcher meat, which involves hardship to the labouring classes, the Board will at once rescind the ordinance prohibiting the importation of Cattle and sheep from the Argentine Republic and other countries for immediate slaugther at the Deptford Foreign Cattle Market and other markets throughout the country, which would enable not only the price of butcher meat to be reduced but these foreign markets to resume their former activity and thereby greatly reduce the ranks of the unemployed; and whether he is aware that, while Argentine and other foreign animals t cannot be imported alive into this country, Argentine sheep are regularly imported into Antwerp and a proportion of the skins, heads, plucks, and carcasses of these sheep are brought from Antwerp, admitted without inspection, and sold in England, thus depriving the British working classes of the necessary employment in connection therewith.
§ *MR. CHAPLIN (Surrey, Wimbledon)Before the hon. Gentleman answers that Question I desire to ask one or two others. Is it not a fact that, shortly after the last occasion when an order prohibiting the importation of live cattle and sheep from the Argentine Republic and permitting their landing at Deptford was relaxed, two cargoes of animals suffering from foot-and-mouth disease were discovered just in time to prevent their being landed; and whether it is not the fact that so insidious is this disease that no regulation, however stringent, with regard to the control of Deptford Market could afford any guarantee that it would not escape beyond the precincts of the market, and so be spread to other parts of the country? Further——
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman had better answer this Question first.
§ MR. CHAPLINMay I ask, Sir, whether, after the hon. Gentleman has answered the Question on the Paper, I shall not be permitted to ask him a further Question?
§ *MR. SPEAKERThere have been already put five or six. It is rather a long catechism.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYI may answer the right hon. Gentleman's Questions generally in the affirmative. The statutory obligations of the Board with regard to the importation of animals are such as to preclude the admission into this country of cattle and sheep brought from the Argentine and the other countries scheduled under the Foreign Animals Order of 1903. The adoption of precautionary measure in relation to the importation of hides, offals, etc., has frequently been considered, but it has always been held to be impracticable. No outbreak of disease in this country has been circumstantially traced to such agencies.
§ *MR. CHAPLINI think the time has now come when, as I understand your ruling, I am entitled to put a further Question to the hon. Member for South Somerset, and I should like to ask, in view of the statement that Argent no sheep are regularly imported into Antwerp, if the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Edinburgh was not directly traced to the importation of fodder and hay from Antwerp or its neighbourhood?
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThat is so.