§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that numbers of persons have left these shores for the purpose of fox hunting in Ireland and are maintaining in that country a number of persons of military age as grooms and horse-keepers; that these persons defy all Regulations of the Food Controller and have collected stocks of all kinds of food supplies, together with supplies of cereals for their animals; and that they get the pick of all the best meat slaughtered in Ireland while leaving tuberculous and diseased cow meat to be sent from that country to Smithfield Market, as evidenced by the recent seizures; and whether, as working-class Englishmen are only allowed to visit Ireland under permit, he proposes to take any action in the matter?
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§ Mr. DUKEInquiries which I have caused to be made in what are popularly known as hunting counties in Ireland lead me to suppose that the hon. Member is misinformed in the suggestion contained in the first part of the question; and the Irish Food Control Committee inform me that they know of no grounds for the imputation in the second. I know of no case of export of diseased meat from Ireland to Great Britain, and I do not believe there is such a practice. The hon. Member is mistaken in thinking that working men require a permit in order to visit Ireland.