§ Mr. FELLasked the President of the Board of Trade if any reports had been been received by the Government from the consuls in China, giving any information respecting the shipments to this country of Chinese pork and the conditions under which it was produced and killed and prepared for shipment?
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the President of the Local Government Board if he could say whether he had taken any steps to ascertain how the pigs whose carcases have been imported into this country from China have been fed; if so, could he say on what feeding stuff; whether the pig in China performs the office of street scavenger; whether he had any power to prevent its carcase from being imported here provided it is sound; and whether, in the interest of the consumer, he would take some steps, by legislation or otherwise, to have the purchasers of pork imported from China made cognisant of the fact that it came from that country?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to the question of the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth (Mr. Fell). In so doing perhaps I may be allowed to reply also to the question on the Paper standing in the name of the hon. Member for West Limerick (Mr. O'Shaughnessy). As I stated in answer to a question on 18th August last, I caused inquiries to be made both of the importers and of the Consul-General at Hankow. The latter reported that the 888 animals exported were entirely different from the ordinary scavenger pig, and were of a special breed fed on rice in the valley of the Yangtse. This agrees with the statements made by the importers. The Consul-General further stated, on the authority of the doctor who inspected the carcases before shipment, that the killing and general handling of the animals were satisfactory. I have no power to prevent the entry into this country of entire carcases of pigs from any source which on examination at the port of entry are found to be sound and free from disease. I doubt whether there would be any advantage as regards public health in requiring a declaration as to the country of origin in the case of meat derived from carcases which have satisfied the requirements of the foreign meat and unsound food regulations.
§ Mr. REESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that every pig in the East that is used for food is always certified as an exceptionally clean feeder?
§ Mr. BURNSI have not been in that portion of the world. I assume the hon. Gentleman has been there and speaks with some authority.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEAre we to understand that before these pigs were shipped the British Consul in China had seen them fed with rice?
§ Mr. BURNSNo; that part of the answer which referred to that portion of the subject raised by the hon. Member has been certified to by the Consul there.