§ Mr. LANE-FOXasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether there is any record in the police reports that the thirteen pigs at Mr. Dodson's farm at Sprotborough reported to have died or been destroyed or buried had been ailing; and whether any investigation was held which proved them to have suffered from swine fever; and, if not, will he say why the penalty of eight months' quarantine and consequent financial loss to the owner should have been based upon their death?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)The answer to the first part of the question is that no such statement appears in the original Reports, which consist merely of the entry of numbers under various heads; in a schedule, but in reply to my subsequent inquiries of the police they gave as the reason for the slaughter of eight pigs by the owner that the pigs were ailing. As regards the ninth, they said the owner stated that it was suffering from broken ribs. With regard to the four slaughtered by veterinary surgeons, they gave no reasons. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative. The Board cannot undertake, with the staff at their disposal, to investigate every case of death in an infected place. The answer to the last part of the question is that the period of quarantine was not a penalty but a measure of precaution for the protection of other pig keepers. The isolation of the premises was required before the death of the thirteen pigs referred to.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXIs it not a fact that no evidence that these pigs were suffering from swine fever has been secured by the Board of Agriculture, and is it not the fact that veterinary opinion showed that some of them had died from tuberculosis?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have no information to the effect that some of them had died from tuberculosis. I have already stated that the isolation of the premises was required before the death of the thirteen pigs referred to.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXThe point is that there is no veterinary opinion to bear out the suggestion that these other pigs died of swine fever, but there is very strong veterinary opinion in the opposite direction.
§ Mr RUNCIMANIf the hon. Member has that information perhaps he will be so good as to send it to the Board.
§ Mr. W. THORNECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the pigs were burned or buried. It is important.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if he will state by whom the viscera of the animal suspected of swine fever at Sprotborough were examined in the Board's laboratory in view of the statement made by his predecessor in office in reply to a question in this House on 2nd August last, that the opinion of the local veterinary inspector was accepted by the Board?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Board's local veterinary inspector examined the pig, and pronounced the case to be one of swine fever. He sent the viscera to the Board's laboratory for examination. The viscera were there examined by a member of the Board's veterinary staff working under the direct supervision of the chief veterinary officer. I have referred to the answer given on 2nd August last, and, although it does not refer to the investigation made in the laboratory, it certainly does not warrant the assumption that no such investigation was made. If the hon. Member would care to see the reports I shall be happy to show them to him.