§ 32. Mr. HUGH BARRIEasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to announce the reopening of the English ports for Irish cattle drawn from counties which have continued free from any suspicion of cattle disease?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Board proposes to issue an Order to come into operation on Friday, modifying the present restrictions so as to allow animals from certain parts of Ireland to be shipped to certain ports in Great Britain, there to be slaughtered within ninety-six hours. I hope to be able to announce full details to-morrow.
§ Mr. H. BARRIEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it was with his authority that I was informed by the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) that the relief now promised on Friday would be given to-day?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI do not know what passed between the Vice-President and the hon. Gentleman, but the Order opening the port on Friday will be issued today. Perhaps that is what the hon. Member is referring to.
§ Mr. BARRIEDid the right hon. Gentleman allow the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) to inform me, personally, with his approval and consent that the port was to be opened to-day?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANWhat I did say, and what I have said in this House as well as privately, was that the Order would be issued to-day. If it is issued to-day, it obviously cannot be put into operation to-day, and I do not know that any relief will be given if the port is not opened until Friday.
§ Mr. BARRIEWas it not the custom, when these Orders were necessary some months ago, to send word by telegram before noon, in order to give the relief necessary, and why should it now take two days to get the port open?
§ Mr. LOUGHCan Members generally be put into possession of the terms of the Order some time this afternoon as soon as possible, having regard to the grave interests affected in Ireland?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANIt is not an easy matter, in answer to a question, to define 444 exactly the boundaries within which the restrictions have to be maintained without having to go into long geographical particulars. These can best be given in the form of an Order. I have promised to give as full details as possible at Question Time to-morrow. Meanwhile, the trade is being fully informed, and in some districts it will be resumed on Friday.
§ Mr. SHEEHANDoes not the right hon. Gentleman know that the universal enforcement of his Order means the ruin of a trade worth £18,000,000 to Ireland, and does it not amount to separation between the two countries?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo, Sir, it would be absurd to put the case in those terms. It is in the utmost interest of both the Irish and English trade that the greatest precaution should be taken to prevent the spread of the infection.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if time will be given to discuss his decision?
§ 67. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he will state each of the years under which a levy has been made under Sub-section (5) of Section 71 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894; the amount of the levy and its produce for each year; and whether he will state the amount of the contribution received, respectively, to these years from the Treasury for the purposes of the same fund?
§ Mr. RUSSELLIf the hon. Member will move for a Return, I will endeavour to give the information desired.
§ 69. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the maximum amount payable by the Treasury to Ireland for the working of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, has been paid in each year, and, if not, will he state the total arrears; and whether in each year in which a local levy was made the Treasury contribution was first exhausted?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThe reply to the first part of this question is in the affirmative. A levy is made whenever the balance to credit of the General Cattle Diseases Fund from all sources (Treasury Grant and local authority contributions included) is approaching depletion. The point of exhaustion is never actually reached before a new levy is raised.
§ 70. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked if, when a levy is made under Sub-section (5) of Section 71 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, it is made on the whole of Ireland; if not, how is the area charged selected; and what is the produce of a halfpenny rate on the annual valuation of Ireland liable to be charged?
§ Mr. RUSSELLThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The present produce of a halfpenny rate levied as mentioned would be £33,037.
§ Mr. FIELDI beg, in accordance with private notice, to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture what arrangement has been made respecting the opening of British ports for Irish live stock; whether it is a fact that only two animals were affected in Tipperary, and that those two cases were immediately dealt with; whether there is any symptom of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland, and whether, under these circumstances, he will allow the live-stock import trade to resume its normal condition?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANWith regard to the first part of the question, I can add nothing at present to the answer which I have already given to the question addressed to me by the hon. Member for North Londonderry. According to my information, although only two animals were found to be affected with foot-and-mouth disease in the recent outbreak, there had been considerable movements of stock a few days previously from the immediate vicinity of the affected farm, particularly to Dublin Market, and it would not be safe to assume yet that the infection has not been carried to some other parts of Ireland. In the interests of all concerned it is necessary that strict precautions should be taken until the normal period of incubation is passed. I hope to be in a position to make a reassuring statement on the subject early next week.
§ Mr. FIELDWill the right hon. Gentleman be able to make a statement tomorrow, because it is an exceedingly important matter to all connected with the trade?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have promised to make public to-morrow the terms of the Order, which will allow for the passage of animals over to certain ports in England and Scotland for slaughter this week, but with regard to the resumption of the normal trade it would be well to postpone any statement till next week.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYWill the Irish Members be given an opportunity of discussing in the House this extraordinary action on the part of the Department?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThat rests with the Leader of the House.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYI am sorry to trouble the Prime Minister—I know he is very busily engaged—but I must ask him, in view of the total stoppage by the Department of Agriculture of this Irish trade, involving many millions of money, whether he can give an opportunity to the House of Commons to discuss the action of the Department?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will consider that. I do not know if it can be done on any Vote in Supply.