§ Mr. STANIERasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can state at how early a date the Argentine ports will be open to receive pedigree cattle from this country, and whether he has kept the Argentine authorities informed that there has been no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since December last.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Herbert Lewis)My right hon. Friend has requested me to answer this question on his behalf. The Argentine Government were officially informed by telegram on the 5th of last month that the last case of foot-and-mouth disease occurred on the 8th December last; that the disease was extirpated on the 11th December by the slaughter of all animals infected or directly exposed to danger of infection; that the precautionary measures which had been imposed locally were withdrawn on the 10th January last; and that no sign of foot-and-mouth disease then existed in any part of the United Kingdom, a state-men which holds good at the present time. If I may judge from previous experience, it is not likely that the restrictions on the importation of cattle from this country to Argentine ports will be maintained for a longer period than six months from the date of the last outbreak, if so long.