§ 47. Lieut.-Colonel MOOREasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the anxiety among breeders of Ayrshire cattle with regard to the continued importation into this country of cattle which are not subjected on landing to either the tuberculin test or the agglutination test for contagious abortion, and, without any guarantee that they are free from contagious mammitis; and whether he proposes to take any steps to deal with this matter?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI have received representations, to the effect stated in the first part of the question, from the Ayrshire Cattle Herd Book Society and other Scottish societies, and I understand that the Scottish Agricultural Advisory Committee are now considering the whole matter. As at present advised, however, I doubt whether any useful purpose would be served by requiring the tests or guarantee suggested. Apart from the point that the absence of reaction to a single test would not necessarily indicate freedom from disease, there is no reason to believe that the diseases mentioned are more prevalent among imported cattle than in native stock in this country.