§ 20. Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the difficulty and often the impossibility of distinguishing, even, after the application of the tuberculin test, between Johne's disease and tuberculosis, the consideration that is equally desirable to exterminate the former fatal and apparently contagious disease, and the fact that the slaughter in error of animals affected thereby involves serious financial loss to local authorities, he will amend the Tuberculosis Order of 1913 so as to include Johne's disease within its provisions?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)Although I am not prepared to accept the statement that it is often impossible to distinguish Johne's disease from tuberculosis, I am advised that confusion may occur when the animal suffers from extreme emaciation; but in such cases the animal cannot be worth much more than its carcase value, and, so far as I am aware, no local authority has suffered serious financial loss owing to mistakes of this kind. The scientific investigation of Johne's disease instituted by the Board has made good progress, and when it is completed the Board will be in a better position to consider what action should be taken to check the loss caused by the disease.