§ 35. Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that recently a Belgian was fined at Crewe Police Court for allowing foreign meat-wrappings to come into contact with live stock on his farm; that the defendant imported bacon from the Continent, the wrappings of which were the subject of the charge; that he had mixed imported bacon with the pigs' food on his farm; 2248 and that as a result of these acts there has been an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the district; and if he will now undertake to revise the existing prohibition so as to make it applicable only in reference to bacon imported in wrappings and pigs with hair on?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Guinness)I am aware that a man was fined £15 at Crewe for allowing wrappings in which bacon had been imported to come in contact with swine. The Order infringed was the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Packing Materials) Order of 1925. This Order was designed to prevent wrappings of all imported meat (beef, mutton, bacon, etc.) from being brought into contact with British animals. Foreign meat and bacon may itself be free from disease but, because it is packed in places receiving live animals, the wrappings may become contaminated after the meat is packed. Had this Order been obeyed, it is possible that the outbreak at Crewe would not have occurred. I, therefore, see no reason to modify the existing prohibition on the entry of fresh carcases into this country from the continent, but I intend to give the widest publicity to the conviction at Crewe in order to call the attention of stock owners to the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Packing Materials) Order of 1925.