§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether any steps have been taken by his Department, or by that known as the Irish division presided over by Lord Carrick, to trace the whereabouts of a gang of bogus butter merchants who have quite recently been operating successfully in Ireland; is he aware that these persons 409 have got butter from various Irish creameries but have never paid for the same; have the Irish inspectors taken up the matter, and, if so, with what results; have boxes of butter been found at any London stations addressed to men who are already known to the Department to have defrauded Irish agriculturists; have the police authorities been put, in motion with a view to the tracking down of these persons who are trading under assumed names in Great Britain; and, if not, will something be done to try and prevent the Irish farmer from being robbed of what is his only means of subsistence?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELL (Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture, Ireland)Several cases of frauds of the nature referred to have been investigated by the Department's staff in Great Britain, and the information obtained has been placed before the Director of Public Prosecutions and the police authorities concerned. In two instances proceedings have been instituted by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Other complaints are at present receiving the attention of the police. It is undesirable to give publicity to the methods of investigation adopted. If the hon. Member will send me any definite information in his possession as to a case of the kind I will have the matter looked into, if this is not already being done.