71. Colonel BURNasked the Minister of Agriculture the reason why the application of Mr. Hartley-Russell for permission to test his product Moramor, at his own expense, as a cure for foot-and-mouth disease, has been refused.
§ 74. Colonel MILDMAYasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in connection with the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, he will take into consideration, as an alternative to the policy of slaughter, the methods suggested by Lieut. Hartley Russell, which methods, justifiable by their pre-War efficacy in Germany, were submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture on the 25th November, 1920?
The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Sir Arthur Boscawen)For the reasons which I gave in my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Penrith and Cocker-mouth on the 16th, the Ministry cannot undertake the examination and testing of alleged cures for foot-and-mouth disease in this country, but I am hoping to be able to arrange for an international inquiry into the whole subject to be held in the near future.
Colonel BURNWould it not be wise to give this system a fair trial, because it has been so eminently successful abroad?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI have had a great many alleged cures sent to me; but at the present moment, when the whole of my staff is engaged in fighting the disease, I cannot possibly detach some of them to test various cures.
§ 72. Mr. W. NICHOLSONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the fact that a cattle dealer recently sent 400 Irish cattle, which he had bought at Bristol, to Chichester, with the intention of offering them for sale at Chichester Market on Wednesday, 8th February, but owing to the regulations issued by the Ministry of Agriculture he was prohibited from bringing them into the market, and that in spite of the regulations he was allowed to sell 80 of these cattle to another dealer who sent them by road from Chichester to Sheet, in Hampshire, where they spent the night, and then to Colemore; whether he can state who gave permission to the dealer to sell them, who allowed them to be driven on the roads, and who allowed the cattle to be moved from Sussex to Hampshire; and whether the authorities of Hampshire were informed of the Irish cattle being moved into the county?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe removal of the cattle in question was quite regular, as the necessary licence under the Foot and Mouth Disease Orders was obtained from the local authorities concerned.
75. Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSasked the Minister of Agriculture how many cattle have been destroyed in connection with the present outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease; and whether he will make inquiries as to the efficacy of the methods of isolation without destruction adopted in connection with this disease in France?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe slaughter of 17,037 cattle has been authorised up to and including Sunday, the 19th instant. With regard to the latter part of the question, I am advised that the methods of isolation adopted in France have been quite ineffective as a policy for the eradication of the disease.
Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSIs there any limit to the size of an outbreak which the Ministry considers suitable to be 1518 dealt with by this very costly method of destruction?
Sir A. BOSCAWENYes. It all depends whether we regard the outbreak as epidemic or not. In this case we do not, and we think we have the matter well in hand.