§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the exceptionally good trade in pedigree cattle with Argentina enjoyed by British cattle-breeders in the current year until the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Chobham, in Surrey, and the prospects which till then existed of a large increase of such trade, the Board will make clear to the Argentine Government the isolated 2594W character of such outbreak and the drastic measures taken by the Board to prevent the spread of the disease, and at the same time urge them, in the interests of British agricultural industry, to impose restrictions upon importation for as short a period as possible?.
§ Sir E. STRACHEYYes, Sir, it is the intention of the Board to bring the facts officially to the notice of the Argentine Government, and to ask them to consider the propriety of relaxing their restrictions. But any such representations would at the moment be premature, for although we have good reason to hope that our efforts will succeed in preventing the spread of the disease it cannot as yet be safely assumed that the outbreak is an isolated one, and that all danger of further infection has passed away.