§ 29. Mr. ANNESLEY SOMERVILLEasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he proposes to take any action under the Destructive Imported Animals Act, 1932, with a view to regulating the importation and keeping of nutria in this country?
§ The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (Major Elliot)As the result of inquiries I have caused to be made as to the 1909 practice in other European countries as regards the keeping of nutria, and of information obtained from other sources, I have come to the conclusion that there is not sufficient evidence at present to justify action as regards nutria under the Destructive Imported Animals Act, 1932. The Ministry has arranged, however, for the representative associations of fur breeders to keep and supply the Ministry with a record of all persons keeping nutria, and facilities are to be afforded for officers of the Department to visit their premises in order to see the conditions under which the animals are being kept.
§ Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEIs my right hon. Friend aware that the amount allocated for this purpose is w holly inadequate to deal with the possibilities of destruction by these pests?