HC Deb 17 March 1955 vol 538 cc1440-1
30. Mr. Crouch

asked the Minister of Agriculture what he estimates the percentage is of herds of pigs that are free from virus pneumonia.

Mr. Amory

I regret that I am unable to give a reliable estimate, but the disease is believed to be widespread.

Mr. Crouch

Would my right hon. Friend agree that virus pneumonia is the most serious problem facing the pig industry at present, and that if we could free our herds from this disease, by immunisation or selective breeding, it would completely revolutionise pig breeding in this country?

Mr. Amory

Yes, Sir, I agree with my hon. Friend that this is a most important matter, and the Agricultural Research Council has the question of a possible programme under consideration.

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Willey.

Mr. Braine

On a point of Order. May I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the fact that at this early stage in Question time, 11 hon. Gentlemen and one right hon. Gentleman who have Questions on the Paper have not risen? Is this not a gross discourtesy to the House, and a great inconvenience to Ministers, and may I respectfully inquire whether the right hon. Gentleman and hon. Gentlemen concerned intimated to you in advance that they would not be here?

Mr. Edelman

Further to that point of order. Is it not the case that those right hon. and hon. Gentlemen who are unavoidably absent are celebrating the 25th birthday of the greatest newspaper in this country?

Mr. Speaker

There is no point of order for me to deal with in that Mr. Teeling.

Mr. Braine

Further to that point of order—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member says "Further to that point of order," but I have already said that there was no point of order in it.

Mr. Braine

May I, therefore, raise an additional point of order? My original point was to ask you, Sir, whether certain action was not a grave discourtesy to the House. My further point of order is whether the observation of the hon. Member for Coventry, North (Mr. Edelman) is not in itself a discourtesy to the House—to intimate that attendance at a function of a newspaper, which I believe is called the "Daily Herald," is more important than attendance in Parliament?

Mr. Speaker

I see neither a point of order nor any discourtesy involved in that. Personally I welcome the opportunity of making rather more rapid progress with Questions.