HC Deb 16 January 1913 vol 46 cc2289-90W
Mr. GUINEY

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture when the restrictions on the importation of hay and straw shipped from Ireland to Great Britain will be removed?

Mr. J. P. FARRELL

asked the President when he proposes to relax the restrictions on the importation of Irish hay and straw into Wales and England; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made as to the fact that no foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in county Longford, so as to allow the hay and straw trade from that part of Ireland to Great Britain to be resumed.

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I propose to allow Irish hay and straw to be imported into Great Britain without any restriction as from the 1st February, unless anything occurs in the meantime to give good reason for suspecting that foot-and-mouth disease still exists in Ireland.

Mr. FIELD

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he will furnish a Report of the veterinary experts who examined the heads which were imported from Ireland, and alleged to have been affected with foot-and-mouth disease?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

The reports of the Board's veterinary officers on the cases to which the hon. Member refers, consisted to a great extent of telephonic messages and personal conversations, and the publication of the written parts alone would be, not only useless, but misleading. I have already given the substance of the reports very fully and without qualification in answer to questions in this House, and I would refer particularly to the answer which I gave to a question addressed to me by the hon. Member for the Wilton Division yesterday.

Mr. HORNER

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he will lay upon the Table a copy of the entire correspondence that passed between the officials of the English and Irish Boards of Agriculture in reference to the cases of alleged foot-and-mouth disease in the animals shipped from Newry to Birkenhead, and of the heads of the animals shipped from Londonderry to Glasgow?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

It would be very unusual to take the course suggested by the hon. Member, and I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by so doing.