§ 15. Mr. DEVLINasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the wholesale slaughter in Ireland of young pigs of from seven to ten weeks old; whether the number slaughtered for the London market has recently amounted to some thousands per week, the number killed by one firm alone reaching 1,000 per week; whether one of the reasons for this state of affairs is the want of feeding stuffs; whether the shipping companies refuse to carry this pork unless under a Government permit and, even with that, refuse to carry more than a tenth part of what is awaiting shipment; and whether he will take immediate action in regard to this matter?
§ Mr. DUKEI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on the 7th Novem- 816 ber to a question on this subject by the hon. Member for the Eastern Division of Kent. The Department have issued a new Order to prohibit the shipment or slaughter of breeding sows which comes into force to-morrow. As regards the latter portion of the question, the Department are aware that delay has taken place in the transit of pork from Ireland to Great Britain. They have taken the matter up with the carrying companies and believe that arrangements are at present being made to obviate a recurrence of such delay.
§ 38. Mr. GINNELLasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) if he will say what steps the Department is taking to increase the supply of foodstuffs for pigs in Ireland owing to the scarcity of which pig-breeding has had to be discontinued and immature pigs are now being sold at twelve weeks old?
§ Mr. DUKEThe Department have no powers to increase the supply of feeding stuffs for pigs in Ireland beyond taking all feasible measures to impress upon farmers the desirability of increasing, as far as possible, the area under tillage. There is no scarcity of foodstuffs for pig-feeding other than potaoes, and the Department have recommended farmers that where potatoes suitable for pig feeding are scarce swede turnips should be partially substituted therefor. The decrease in the number of pigs in Ireland is due, in the Department's opinion, not so much to the scarcity, but rather to the high price of feeding stuffs, nor has pig-breeding, as stated in the question, been discontinued, but the number of pigs is in certain districts being reduced owing to the causes stated. The Department have issued an Order, coming into operation on the 15th instant, which will prevent breeding sows from being slaughtered or exported. Immature pigs are being killed and exported because they command a higher price as pork than as store pigs. In the Department's opinion, if the sale and slaughter of these immature pigs were stopped, such a course would react injuriously upon pig-breeding generally in Ireland.
§ Mr. FLAVINArising out of the statement of the right hon. Gentleman that there is no scarcity except potatoes for pig-feeding stuffs in Ireland, may I ask if he is aware that bran and pollard are largely used for pig-feeding, and, owing to the standardisation of bread, it is impossible to obtain those stuffs?
§ Mr. DUKEThat, no doubt, is a matter which will have to be regarded for the future, but the standardisation is so recent that it cannot have affected matters at present.