§ Mr. HAMILTON BENNasked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity of Chinese pork imported into the United Kingdom in March, 1910, and the ports of arrival; and whether he can state the quantity which was refused admission and the grounds upon which this refusal was based?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Sydney Buxton)The information is being procured, and will be forwarded to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. HAMILTON BENNasked the President of the Local Government Board what quantity of Chinese pork was refused admission into ports of the United Kingdom during March, 1910; upon what grounds was this admission refused; and whether he can state what became of these carcases?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. John Burns)So far as my information goes, some 16,800 carcases, which arrived during last month, did not comply with the foreign meat regulations, and were re-exported. As to the last portion of the question, perhaps I may be allowed to refer the hon. Member to my replies to similar questions on this subject.
Sir GILBERT PARKERWhat does the right hon. Gentleman mean by re-exported? Does he mean sent back to China?
§ Mr. BURNSThey were refused at the port where they went. I have no further knowledge on the point.
§ Mr. HAMILTON BENNAre we to understand that some 16,000 hundredweights of Chinese pork have got into consumption in this country?
§ Mr. BURNSNo. The hon. Member is confusing hundredweights and the carcases refused, which numbered 16,800. The carcases arrived in March, 1910, and were refused admission.
§ Mr. GIBSON BOWLESWhat were the grounds on which they were refused?
§ Mr. BURNSThey were refused not because they were unsound or unfit for food, but because they did not comply with the foreign meat regulations under the Food Regulations Act, which stipulate that carcases should be imported whole. It was because the backbones were taken out, and did not comply with that condition, that these carcases were rejected, and for that reason only.
Mr. LEVERTON HARRISWhen the right hon. Gentleman uses the term re-exported, does he mean re-exported out of the United Kingdom?
§ Mr. KILBRIDEIs the right hon. Gentleman still of opinion that all these pigs were white pigs, and that none of them were the black scavenger pigs of China?