§ Mr. ORDE-POWLETTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of a recent outbreak of anthrax in the North Biding of Yorkshire, resulting in four deaths, in which the animals affected were fed on foreign cakes, whilst other animals kept in the same byre, but fed on different cakes, were not affected, he will take the necessary steps to ensure the thorough disinfection of all ships or trucks which carry feeding stuffs for agricultural purposes?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir E. Strachey)I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 18th July last. I may add that if the hon. Member is referring to the outbreak of anthrax which occurred near Helperby in December last, that a sample of the feeding stuff to which suspicion attached was tested by the veterinary officers of the Board, who failed to find in it the bacillus of anthrax.
§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTArising out of that, I should like to ask the hon. Baronet whether, in all these cases where anthrax is attributable to foreign cakes, there is a bacteriological examination conducted at the Government laboratory?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYI cannot answer offhand, but personally I certainly think it desirable that there should be.