§ Mr. SKELTONasked the Minister of whether, in view of the freedom of Irish cattle from foot-and-mouth disease, he will remove the restrictions imposed by the Animals (Landing from Ireland) Order of 6th July last?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe Regulations referred to were imposed after very-serious consideration, because in the early part of this year the hurrying from market to market of large numbers of Irish cattle, which had picked up infection in this country, converted a small local outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease into a widespread attack all over the country. The necessity for such Regulations has been endorsed by the Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the causes of this outbreak, who made a special interim Report on the subject, and the same principle has been accepted by the Canadian Government with regard to importations of cattle from Canada. I regret that I cannot hold out any hope of modifying or removing this Order, which represents the minimum safeguard considered necessary to prevent the recurrence of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease on a large scale.