§ Mr. EYRES - MONSELLasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that an outbreak of anthrax occurred in May last on a farm in the occupation of Mr. Surman, at Earl's Croome, in Worcestershire, and that, two months after the contaminated fields were declared free of infection by the Board's officials, anthrax again broke out; whether this is attributed to carelessness on behalf of the officials responsible for slaughtering and disinfecting; and will the Board order a special inquiry to be made in the matter?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANOutbreaks of anthrax occurred on the premises in question in 1905 and 1908, but the Board have no knowledge of the occurrence of any outbreak in May last. A heifer died from that disease on 27th July last, and nine other deaths have subsequently occurred. The inquiries which the Board have made go to show that these later deaths were not attributable to any carelessness on the part of the officers of the local authority who dealt with the outbreak. I will communicate to the hon. Member a full statement of the facts of the case in reply to the letter which he has addressed to the Board respecting it.