Mr. CATHCART WASONasked approximately the cost to the Board of Agriculture of administering the various Acts with reference to the diseases of animals; and what saving would be effected in the event of a separate and independent Board being set up for Scotland?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe aggregate cost of the administration of the Diseases of Animals Act in Great Britain, excluding the compensation paid for animals slaughtered and miscellaneous expenses such as disinfection, etc., is estimated at, say, £51,000 during the present financial year. The staff is at present interchangeable as between England and Scotland as necessity arises, but the salaries and expenses of the officers permanently stationed in Scotland amount to £3,750, and this may be taken to be the amount by which the Board's Vote would be reduced, so far as administrative expenses are concerned, if this part of the work of the Board were transferred to a separate Scottish Department.
§ Mr. WATTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the hon. Member for West Perthshire (Marquess of Tullibardine) has just said that the Board of Agriculture is not doing its duty in Scotland?
Mr. CATHCART WASONasked whether, in the event of a separate Board of Agriculture being set up for Scotland with full power to administer the various Acts referring to diseases of animals, there will be a Scottish representative in the Government to answer specially questions referring to the administration of such Board?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. Ure)The answer to my hon. Friend's question is in the negative.
Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, if the plague of foot-and-mouth disease or rinderpest broke out in Scotland, the whole energy of his Department would be set apart to stamp out the disease, and that the cost would be borne entirely by the Board over which he presides without any reference to locality?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYDoes that mean an affirmative now or an affirmative in the future?