§ LORD STRACHIE rose to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he can give any information to the House as to the origin of the serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Somerset; and whether he can say that it has not arisen owing to his having removed the restrictions on the importation of cattle from countries where foot-and-mouth disease exists.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, I should like to ask the noble Earl for a little more information than is sought in my Question. Since putting the Question on the Paper I have been informed by the Chairman of the Contagious Diseases Committee for the County of Somerset—the county where this outbreak has principally taken place—that there are 153 cattle infected and over 300 cattle in contact on the farms which at the present moment are under restriction. I am also told that up to the present the Board of Agriculture has taken no steps as regards slaughtering. I understand that only eight animals have been slaughtered. It would be very useful, therefore, if my noble friend would indicate what is going to be the policy of the Board of Agriculture in regard to this matter—whether the old policy of slaughtering is going to be followed, or whether some other procedure is about to be adopted.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (The EARL OF SELBORNE)My Lords, I regret to say that this outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is a serious one. I am unable to give any information as to the origin of the outbreak in Somersetshire. It is, however, quite clear that the disease was not introduced by foreign animals landed under the provisions of the Foreign 110 Animals Order, 1915, since none have been landed under it either at Avonmouth or Cardiff, the only ports through which infection could in this way come to the district. The main circumstances are that the discase appeared on the premises of a dairy farmer living at Monkton Combe, on the outskirts of the Borough of Bath, being confirmed as foot-and-mouth disease on October 21. An investigation showed that the disease had been there for nearly three weeks before it was recognised, so that it will be apparent that, with the start it had, and taking into account that there are so many ways in which it could be introduced into a partly residential district, the business of tracing its origin will be found a very difficult if not an impossible one. I must say that it is a most deplorable thing that not only the farmers who are not experts in the disease but those experts they called in should have been staring this terrible disease in the face for three weeks before they had the slightest idea what it was or gave the Board of Agriculture any notice.
Up to the present twenty-four outbreaks in all have occurred in the Monkton Combe district. There is direct connection traceable between them all, except two of them which are away from the main group—one in the parish of Winkfield, three miles away from the nearest place of infection in the Monkton Combe district, and the other in the parish of Compton Dando, about seven miles away from it. It is practically certain that these two are connected with the others, but, so far, the connection cannot be definitely indicated.
The other outbreak of disease in the country is in the extreme south-western corner of Pembrokeshire. That is directly traceable to a calf which was taken from premises in the Monkton Combe district which have since been declared infected. This animal, with nine others from the Bath auction mart, was taken direct by rail to Pembroke. The calves were from the first closely watched, and distinct signs of the disease were found to exist on October 28. Since that date there has been no development of the disease at this centre, it having been found possible, in the favourable circumstances of the case, to keep it under complete control.
I will now answer the further question put to me. The noble Lord asked why 111 there has been some delay in the slaughter of the animals concerned, and whether there is any change in the policy of the Board in that respect. No, there is no change. The delay is exclusively owing to the fact that the scene of the first series of outbreaks is in the district of the Bath stone quarries, and it is extremely difficult to dig the necessary excavations in which carcases could be cremated; no labour could be got to do it, nor could any butchers or slaughterers be procured, and I have had to resort to the Army. The Army have given me a body of men, up to any size required, to go about and dig the holes in which to cremate the carcases 112 under the supervision of the officers of the Board of Agriculture, and they are also helping me with butchers to slaughter the animals. If I cannot get butchers I shall without hesitation have the animals shot, which of course involves the loss of any salvage there might be from cases not yet diseased. My noble friend can rest assured that the Board of Agriculture will pursue its usual course, hitherto so successful, in the most drastic manner of dealing with this scourge.
§ House adjourned at half-past Six o'clock, till To-morrow; quarter past four o'clock.