§ 30. Mr. Turtonasked the Minister of Agriculture what precautions he is taking to secure that foot-and-mouth disease is 19W not introduced into this country by importations of carcases of pork from the Continent.
Mr. T. WilliamsI assume that the hon. Member refers to prospective imports from France. An agreement has been made with the French authorities, which applies to fresh or frozen beef and mutton as well as pork, providing that animals to be slaughtered for export shall not be drawn from the vicinity of any farm where foot-and-mouth disease is known to exist; that they shall be subject to veterinary examination before and after slaughter; that they shall not be slaughtered at the same time as other animals; and that the live animals and carcases destined for export shall be completely segregated from all others at the abattoirs. These arrangements, in the opinion of my veterinary advisers, provide a reasonable safeguard against the introduction of foot-and-mouth or other disease into this country.