§ The Minister may, notwithstanding anything in the principal Act, by Order authorise any Canadian animals, whether store cattle or not, to be landed in Great Britain otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the last preceding Section of this Act and without being subject to the provisions of Part I of the Third Schedule to the principal Act, if, in the case of any such animals being cattle, there is produced a certificate issued by a duly authorised officer of the Dominion of Canada to the effect that the animals were within one month before shipment effectively tested for tuberculosis and were found to be free therefrom, and if the animals are landed in accordance with such conditions, to be prescribed in the Order, as may, in the opinion of the Minister, be necessary or expedient for the prevention of the introduction of disease, other than tuberculosis, into Great Britain."
§ Mr. CAUTLEYI beg to move, to leave out the word "whether" ["animals, whether store cattle"], and to insert instead thereof the words "other than."
This Amendment raises a matter of considerable importance. Clause 2 enables a Minister to authorise conditionally the importation of Canadian cattle, and- the object of my Amendment is to confine that 2470 power to cattle other than store cattle, that is to say, to breeding cattle. Personally, I do not desire to see breeding cattle imported from Canada into this country, but I have not carried out my personal feeling so far as to move an Amendment to reject the whole Clause, and so as to exclude breeding cattle, but the frame of this Bill is to give power for imported store cattle from Canada to come into this country under conditions which are set out in Clause 1. If they fail to comply with those conditions, they will be treated as cattle coming into the country subject to the principal Act of 1894 and will be liable to slaughter. We have taken some considerable trouble in defining these conditions under which store cattle are to come in, and the object of my Amendment is to say that store cattle shall come into this country, if at all, only on those conditions that we have laid down, with such variations in the Orders that the Minister has under these conditions power to give by Order in Council. Clause 2 seems to me, so far as store cattle are concerned, to negative what we have done for the last two hours, because it reads:
The Minister may, notwithstanding anything in the principal Act, by Order authorise any Canadian animals, whether store cattle or not, to be landed in Great Britain otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the last preceding Section of this Act,directly altering what we have already done, and it goes on,and without being subject to the provisions of Part I. of the Third Schedule to the principal Act,meaning thereby that they cannot to subject to slaughter as they would be under the principal Act. Then there is this,if, in the case of any such animals being cattle, there is produced a certificate issued by a duly authorised officer of the Dominion of Canada to the effect that the animals were within one month before shipment effectively tested for tuberculosis and were found to be free therefrom, and if the animals are landed in accordance with such conditions, to be prescribed in the Order, as may, in the opinion of the Minister, be necessary or expedient for the prevention of the introduction of disease, other than tuberculosis, into Great Britain.What earthly object is there for giving these powers to the Minister in reference to store cattle? There can be none, and I defy the Attorney-General to give any reason for negativing what we have 2471 already done in limiting the conditions under which store cattle can come into this country.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODOn a point of Order. How is this Amendment intended to read? As it stands on the Paper, it does not make sense.
§ Mr. CAUTLEYI have handed in to the Chair a manuscript Amendment, to leave out the words "or not" after the word "cattle" ["whether store cattle or not"], and that will meet the objection of the hon. and gallant Member. It may be necessary that the Minister should have these powers in the case of breeding cattle, and, as far as I can gather, to the conditions respecting breeding cattle I have no personal objection, because I gather they are somewhat similar to the terms that the Canadian Government insist on having on breeding cattle imported from this country into Canada, and it may be desirable that there should be reciprocal power given to our Minister, but no such considerations can apply to store cattle.
§ Sir D. HOGGI rather agree with my hon. and learned Friend that there is no real reason why this Amendment should not be accepted. I do not think, if he will forgive me saying so, that it makes very much difference in what would happen, because he will appreciate that under Clause 2 the provisions as to 30 days' quarantine on the Canadian side and quarantine under Part II of the Third Schedule of the Act of 1894 on this side would effectively prevent anybody wishing to bring store cattle over here under Clause 2 rather than under Clause 1, but I think he is logically right, and, on behalf of the Government, I have no objection to this Amendment.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Further Amendments made: Leave out the words "or not" ["store cattle or not"].
§
Leave out the words
otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the last' preceding Section of this Act and."—[Mr. Cautley.]
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill."
§ Sir F. BANBURYI had intended to move to leave out this Clause, but, as 2472 my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General has shown such a great desire to meet our wishes on this side of the Committee, and has accepted the proposal of my hon. and learned Friend the Member for East Grinstead (Mr. Cautley), I shall not move to leave out the Clause. Although I am not altogether satisfied with the actual effect of the provisions, we have to be thankful for small mercies, and I appreciate what the Government have done.