Captain MURRAYasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the uncertainty that prevailed on the subject of anthrax, he would consider the advisability of appointing a committee to inquire into anthrax and its causes?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD Of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)I do not think that the occasion has arisen for the appointment of a Departmental Committee. Careful and continuous investigations are being carried on by the Veterinary Staff of the Board, and I think that for the present we may be content to await the issue of their investigations and the results of the operation of the Anthrax Order of 1910, which has been in force for little more than twelve months.
§ Mr. STANIERasked whether the Board of Agriculture proposed to bring in any legislation to compel ships to carry hides in a part isolated from the rest of the cargo 7 when it was known that the hides came from a country where foot-and-mouth disease or anthrax existed?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANAs the hon. Member is aware, a Departmental Committee is at present considering whether any further measures can be adopted to prevent the recurrence of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. I think it will be desirable to postpone any legislation that may be necessary in this connection until the Committee has reported.
§ Mr. STANIERasked whether the Board of Agriculture could give the names of the ports at which the carcases of calves were landed in this country without their heads or hooves but with their skins on; and if these carcases come from countries where foot-and-mouth disease now existed?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Board have no recent information on this subject, which is, as I understand, engaging the attention of the Departmental Committee on Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
§ Mr. STANIERasked whether the Board of Agriculture were going to carry out any experiments on animals affected with tumours on the lines of those carried out by Dr. Von Hausemann in Germany; and whether the Board had issued any information on this subject?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo such experiments are at present contemplated by the Board. I understand, however, that experiments with malignant tumours in animals are carried out by means of the Cancer Research Fund. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the recent serious outbreak of anthrax among both human beings and farm animals in this country, and of the opinion generally held by the veterinary profession that the disease is mainly traceable to imported hides and fleeces, he will take steps to secure the thorough disinfection by means of formalin, mercuric chloride, or other searching disinfectant, of such goods either prior to their embarkation abroad or to their debarkation at a British port?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI anticipate that the Report of the Departmental Committee on Foot-and-Mouth Disease will be of considerable assistance to the Board in determining whether the disinfection of imported hides and fleeces is necessary and 8 practicable, and I think it desirable, therefore, to await the issue of that Report before taking any action in the matter.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a disinfectant necessary for treatment of foot-and-mouth disease would be of a very much weaker character than that required to deal with anthrax?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, but I am not quite sure that anybody is in a position to say which is an effective disinfectant for foot-and-mouth disease?
§ Mr. STANIERWill the right hon. Gentleman seriously consider whether a Departmental Committee, could not go into this question of anthrax?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have already answered a question to that effect this afternoon, and have nothing to add to it.