HC Deb 30 December 1912 vol 46 cc25-7
4. Captain MURRAY

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is in a position to make any statement regarding the importation of Irish store cattle into Scotland and England?

5. Mr. LUNDON

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman is now in a position to withdraw the restriction imposing four days' quarantine on store cattle exported from Ireland to Great Britain; and, in view of the position of Munster and Con-naught in connection with the disease, will he at least take off the above-named restriction from those provinces?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I am in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Vice-President of the Irish Department on this subject, and for the present I am able to say that the restrictions on exports to British ports from counties Londonderry, Tyrone, Monaghan, and parts of Armagh and Fermanagh are being modified, and animals will be received here from these districts under the same Regulations as apply at present to the larger part of Ireland. From Meath the export of fat stock will be resumed on the issue of the necessary Order by the Irish Department.

Mr. FIELD

May I ask when the right hon. Gentleman will issue Orders to enable those regulations to take effect—will he do so to-day or to-morrow?

Mr. BARRIE

When may we expect the port of Londonderry to be thrown open?

Mr. T. W. RUSSELL

It is a question of preparing and issuing the necessary Orders. It is a dangerous thing to make any statement in the House, because, as I explained before, statements in the House are acted upon by the people, who begin to move their cattle.

Mr. BARRIE

Did not the right hon. Gentleman, in an interview, in Dublin, with the hon. Member for Fermanagh, intimate on Saturday last that the port of Londonderry would be open to-day?

Mr. RUSSELL

No.

45. Mr. HUGH LAW

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed unanimously by the County Council of Donegal on 17th December, asking that a Commission be at once appointed to inquire into the present outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England and in Ireland, and expressing the desire that such Commission should consist of persons not officially connected with Departments directly concerned; and whether any steps will be taken to comply with this request?

46. Mr. PATRICK WHITE

asked whether, if a desire is expressed by the majority of those representing the cattle industry in Ireland that a committee of inquiry be appointed to investigate the loss to that country consequent on the restrictions and conditions imposed upon the landing of its live stock in Great Britain during the Litter portion of this year, and to report upon the future prospect of cattle raising in Ireland in the event of a continuance of this year's regulations being enforced periodically, and to report generally upon what rules should regulate the transit of cattle from one country to the other, he will accede to their request?

The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)

I have considered the matter very carefully, but I still adhere to the opinion which I have already expressed that no useful purpose would be served at present by the appointment of such a Commission as is suggested.