§ 7. Sir JOHN JARDINEasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he is aware that during August, September, and October, hundreds of thousands of sheep and lambs are purchased for the feeding districts of England at sales in the auction marts of Hawick, Saint Boswells, 775 Newcastleton, and other places in the county of Roxburgh and the adjoining Lowland counties in ordinary years, but that the restrictions recently imposed to stop the movement of stock out of the county, except for slaughter, are interfering with this part of agricultural trade by stopping the coming of buyers; and whether, in localities where there is a clean bill of health, he can see his way to abolishing or modifying the restrictive Orders so as to promote buying and selling at the marts between Scottish breeder and English feeder farmers?
§ 11. Mr. CHARLES PRICEasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether foot-and-mouth disease had been completely stamped out in Scotland, and if the time has arrived for abolishing the present restrictions upon the movements of cattle, etc., in that country as well as into England; and whether he was aware that at this season special sales of lambs take place in the south of Scotland, and that under existing restrictions it would be impossible for English buyers to attend these sales and remove the stock purchased to England, thus causing loss to the farmers of Scotland?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)None of the recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred in Scotland, and, so far as the Orders of the Board are concerned, animals may be moved quite freely from Scotland into England with the exception, of course, of those scheduled areas into which movement is entirely prohibited. Some misapprehension appears to have arisen on the subject, and I am glad to have had this opportunity of correcting it.
§ 13. Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked whether any fresh outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have occurred anywhere in Great Britain during the last three days; whether, in the case of the outbreaks in Surrey and Leicestershire, which were not traceable directly or indirectly to Ireland, the origin has been discovered or is suspected; and whether any foodstuffs or litter from the Continent have been found on any of the infected premises?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANOn Thursday last two outbreaks of the disease occurred, one at Dewsbury, in the West Riding scheduled area, and another at Great 776 Bowden, Leicestershire, amongst animals in a field adjacent to one of the fields in which the disease was discovered on the 14th instant. On Saturday, the animals on a third farm at Great Bowden were discovered to be affected. Both the Leicestershire outbreaks are, of course, in the scheduled area. The total number of outbreaks is now forty-nine. The reply to the other inquiries of the hon. Member is in the negative.