§ 43. Mr. P. A. HARRISasked the President of the Board of Agriculture what 2206 measures he is taking to combat the Isle of Wight bee disease; whether he will give favourable consideration to schemes for restocking under the auspices of the Board; and whether he will consider the advisability of enforcing the notification of the Isle of Wight and other bee diseases and take means to stop the wilful exposure of infected bees and hives?
§ Sir R. WINFREYIn reply to the first and last parts of the question, I can inform my hon. Friend that difficulties of diagnosis make it inadvisable to require the notification of the Isle of Wight disease or to try to enforce restrictions against it. Further scientific investigations into the nature of the disease are, however, being made, and I hope that this difficulty may soon be overcome, when the position will be again considered. In the meantime, the Board are taking steps to secure the. importation of foreign stocks of bees which appear to be capable of resisting the disease.