§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he is aware that the prices of hides and other by-products from slaughtering have for some time past shown a considerable increase; whether he is aware that the American firms shipping live cattle to this country for slaughter no longer dispose of the hides and by-products to local buyers in this country, but re-ship them to the United States and whether, in view of the effects upon British trade arising there from, the Board of Agriculture propose to take any, and, if so, what, action?
§ Captain NORTONWe have no official returns of the prices of hides and the other articles to which my hon. Friend refers, but we understand that it is the case that they are generally high at the present time. We have no information as to the extent to which the hides of imported American cattle are reshipped to the United States, and we have no power to intervene in the matter.