HC Deb 02 December 1925 vol 188 cc2229-31
75. Sir FRANK NELSON

asked the Comptroller of the Household, as representing the Minister of Agriculture, whether re-examination of all the possible sources of foot-and-mouth infection is being now carried out, and notably those represented by foreign hay, straw, and cattle cake; and whether the Minister concerned has considered the advisability of prohibiting for a period the import of the above supplies as a means of eliminating or not, as the case may be, these three sources as possible infection carriers?

Major Sir HARRY BARNSTON

As the reply is necessarily long, I propose, with my hon. Friend's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

Inquiries are made in every case with a view to ascertain the possible source of infection, and particular attention is paid to the possibility of foreign hay or straw or feeding stuffs being involved. With regard to the second part of the question, since 1908 the importation of hay and straw into this country from any country in which foot-and-mouth disease exists has been prohibited by the Foreign Hay and Straw Orders, the only exceptions being:

  1. (a) Hay or straw which, at the time of importation, is being used for packing merchandise;
  2. (b) manufactured straw not intended for use as fodder or litter for animals;
  3. (c) hay and straw landed at a foreign animals wharf for the purpose of destruction or disposal in accordance with the Ministry's instructions, and
  4. (d) hay or straw authorised to be landed for use otherwise than as fodder or litter for animals by licence of the Minister.

It has recently been decided to cease altogether the issue of any licences under Clause (d) of these exceptions, although in the past such licences have only been granted in respect of straw generally intended for thatching houses or buildings or for saddlery purposes, and this decision has been communicated to all known importers. At the same time the Ministry has issued the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Packing Materials) Order of 1925 which prescribes that no hay or straw, from any source, which has been used for packing purposes, shall be brought into contact with any animal in Great Britain, or be removed from any premises, unless used as packing, or for the purposes of destruction. Hay or straw which has been used for packing purposes, if not so used again, is required to be destroyed.

The Minister has recently considered the possibility of taking still more drastic action in respect of the importation of foreign hay and straw, but is of opinion that in view of the many important trades in which hay and straw is habitually used for packing, it would not be practicable altogether to prohibit the use of those materials without serious detriment to very important industries. The evidence that cattle cake is a vehicle by which the virus of foot-and-mouth disease is introduced into this country is not strong enough to justify the Ministry in prohibiting the importation of cattle cake and other feeding stuffs, especially as agriculture could hardly be carried on without these foreign feeding materials.