§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, if the information regarding the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in certain provinces in Argentina had been officially notified by the Argentine Gov- 336 ernment; if not, would he state the source from which such information had been notified to the Board?
§ Mr. HERBERT LEWISThe Board was informed through the Foreign Office that the Argentine Government had notified to them the re-appearance of foot-and-mouth disease in Argentina.
§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he would state why, inasmuch as the Argentine Government in August last officially declared that country to be free from foot-and-mouth disease, the Board should have taken no steps to verify such statement, in view of the request of the Argentine Government that live cattle should be allowed to be exported to this country for slaughter; and if he would explain why, in October last, the Board stated that the question of modifying the restrictions upon the importation of live cattle into this country from Argentina was then under consideration?
§ Mr. HERBERT LEWISThe Board do not question nor attempt to verify the accuracy of statements made by a foreign government. The modification of the restrictions was under' consideration last October at the request of the Argentine Government, but I would remind my hon. Friend that there are many considerations to be taken into account other than the freedom of a country from disease at any given time.