§ Sir CHARLES NICHOLSONasked the President of the Board of Agriculture on what information he had stated that thirteen pigs died on Mr. Dodson's farm at Sprotborough, Doncaster, between 16th February and 15th May; and whether the existence of the disease of swine fever was confirmed by any veterinary officer of the Board, and, if so, how?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIn reply to the first part of the question I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on the 5th March to the hon. Member for Barkston Ash, in which I stated that the information was derived from the police reports. The reports referred to are monthly returns furnished by the police with regard to the swine on the infected place. In these returns, under the heading "Number of pigs which have died or have been destroyed and buried," I found for the first monthly period (February to March) 1701 nine, for the second three, and for the third one. In view of Mr. Dodson's public denial of the facts stated by me, I made further inquiries of the police, and I am now informed that four of these thirteen pigs were slaughtered by veterinary surgeons and the remaining nine by the owner, and that all the carcases were destroyed under the supervision of the local authority. These are not to be confused with the pigs slaughtered for food during the same period, which numbered twenty-seven. My hon. Friend will, I think, agree with me that it is not very material whether the thirteen pigs died a natural death or were slaughtered and buried because they were ailing. The reply to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. The viscera of a pig which had died on the premises on or about the 14th February, 1911, were examined at the Board's Laboratory, and numerous swine fever ulcers were found in them.
§ Sir C. NICHOLSONMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether throughout the whole of this period Mr. Dodson has not acted in consultation with the police and kept them fully informed of what he was doing; and whether any examination was made of the pigs between 13th February and 16th May, and, if so, whether any of them was found to be suffering from swine fever?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI do not know what communications passed between Mr. Dodson and the police in regard to the examination of the pigs that were slaughtered on February 12th and later dates. I have no information.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXIf there was no evidence of swine fever in the later cases, how does that justify eight months' quarantine?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI can act only on the evidence before me. I believe the decision arrived at by my predecessors was a right one.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXDoes not the right hon. Gentleman see that there is some case for inquiry: that this gentleman has suffered considerable injustice?