HC Deb 03 March 1910 vol 14 c974
Mr. BOWERMAN

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether the further information respecting the freedom of the Argentine Republic from foot-and-mouth disease has been obtained; and, if so, can he state when it is proposed to remove the existing restrictions upon the importation into the Deptford Cattle Market and other Foreign-animal wharves of live cattle for slaughter?

Mr. HAMILTON BENN

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture if he can now see his way to remove the restriction on the importation of live cattle from Argentina?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir Edward Strachey)

Further information on this subject has been received from the Argentine Government, which is now engaging our consideration. I will communicate with my hon. Friend and with the hon. Member for Greenwich so soon as a definite decision is arrived at.

Mr. DOUGLAS HALL

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether any representations have been made to the Board of Agriculture by the Argentine Government in favour of the removal of the embargo on the importation of live cattle from Argentina into this country; and whether, before the Board consents to the removal of the embargo, care will be taken to ascertain that foot-and-mouth disease has been stamped out in Argentina, and that there will not be a repetition of the fiasco of the year 1903, when the embargo was prematurely removed, the herds of this country subjected to risk, and the Board of Agriculture obliged to reimpose the embargo after an interval of only two months?

Sir E. STRACHEY

The reply is in the affirmative.