§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture what is the total amount expended upon compensation and administration under the existing Swine Fever Orders since their promulgation in 1908; and what are the amounts so expended in the years 1911, 1912, and 1913, respectively?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe expenditure incurred by the Board in connection with swine fever during the last five financial years is shown in the following table:—
— Compensation (after deduction of proceeds of sales of carcases of slaughtered animals). Administration. Total. £ £ £ 1908–09 (10 months from 1st June, 1908) 17,170 39,608 56,778 1909–10 18,531 44,244 62,775 1910–11 28,288 48,669 76,957 1911–12 51,351 62,059 113,410 1912–13 46,952 66,390 113,342 Totals £162,292 260,970 423,262 I regret that I am unable to give the figures for the calendar years.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture the aggregate number of outbreaks of, and of pigs affected with, swine fever during the five years preceding, and during the five years following, the promulgation of the existing 576W Swine Fever Orders, respectively; how many outbreaks have occurred in each of the last three years; and what proportion in each year have the affected pigs formed of the estimated total pig population of the country?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe particulars asked for, so far as I am able to give them, are set out in the following table. To prevent misunderstanding, I would point out that the percentage shown in the last column refers not only to pigs actually affected with swine fever, but also to those which it was deemed advisable to slaughter as having been exposed to infection.
— Outbreaks. Swine slaughtered as diseased or exposed to infection. Number. Number. Per cent, of total number of Swine (enumerated in June in Great Britain). 1903–07 (total) 7,107 36,046 — 1909–13 (total) 11,207 131,980 — 1911 2,466 30,434 1.08 1912 2,920 39,653 1.49 1913 2,573 32,034 1.43 Note.—The Swine Fever Order of 1908 came into operation on the 1st June, 1908. Hence the year 1908 is omitted from the comparison.
I would also refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I gave to his question on this subject on the 12th February last, particularly to the last sentence of that answer. There was no substantial change made in 1908 in the Board's procedure, which has continued, with slight modifications from time to time, since 1901.