§ 24. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, under Section 19 (3) of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, in the event of the sum received by the local authority on the sale of the carcase of a bovine animal after slaughter under the Tuberculosis Order of 1913, exceeding the amount paid for compensation to the owner of the slaughtered animal, the excess will be paid to the owner of such animal; and, if so, whether he will amend the circular referring to the Order and issued to the local authorities on the 25th March, in which they are informed that sums received by them from the sale of the carcases of slaughtered animals should be shown in the account rendered to the Board and deducted from the total expenditure incurred by such authority instead of being, as provided by the Act, added to the compensation paid to the stock-owner?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)Any amount received from salvage in excess of the compensation received by the owner is payable to him in accordance with the provisions of Section 20 (3) of the Act, after deducting reasonable expenses. The clerks of local authorities, to whom the circular letter of 25th March is addressed, are well aware of this provision in the Act, and it does not appear to me to be necessary to call their special attention to it.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIs it not the fact that the circular addressed to these authorities is itself misleading in view of the Section of the Act to which the right hon. Gentleman has referred?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have looked into the circular again, and it does not appear to me to be inconsistent with Section 20, Sub-section (3), of the Act itself.