HC Deb 21 January 1924 vol 169 c491
22. Mr. THOMAS HENDERSON

asked the President of the Board of Education, as representing the Minister of Agriculture, whether he is aware that a vessel arrived at Merklands Wharf, Glasgow, from a Northern Ireland port on Sunday, 21st October, 1923, on board of which 60 cattle had been suffocated owing to overcrowding; whether the throats of the suffocated cattle were afterwards cut; and whether he can say under what conditions the carcases were disposed of?

Colonel GIBBS (Treasurer of the Household)

I have been asked to reply On the 21st October, 1923, the s.s. "Tiger" arrived at Merklands Wharf, Glasgow, with the carcases of 33 cattle on board which had either died or been slaughtered during the voyage. Twenty-three other cattle had to be slaughtered while the boat was alongside the wharf on account of their inability to walk on shore. The Ministry made full inquiry into the matter, and was satisfied that the lasses were due to extreme stress of weather experienced during the voyage. It did not appear that any of the fittings of the vessel had given way, and the ventilating arrangements were in proper working order throughout the voyage. The record of this ship has hitherto been good. The 56 carcases when landed at Merklands would be examined by the Ministry's inspectors to see whether any of them showed lesions of the scheduled diseases. They would then pass under the control of the meat inspectors who are maintained in the wharf by the Glasgow Corporation. The Ministry has no information as to how these carcases were disposed of.