§ Mr. HUGH BARRIEasked the President of the Board of Agriculture how much longer he proposes to continue the present restrictions on the import of live Irish cattle to Great Britain?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANProvided that no new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland is reported, it is proposed to issue an 349W Order, to come into operation on Saturday next, so far modifying the existing restrictions as to allow animals to be moved, after ten hours' detention at the landing places, to specified destinations, there to be kept under observation for ten days unless slaughtered in the meantime. I hope that it will soon be possible to allow the trade to be resumed under normal conditions.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that a large consignment of cattle has been detained at Ennis, county Clare, although Ennis is over a hundred miles from the scene of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, and although there has been no case of such disease in that district for forty years; and whether, as the disease, itself has now been stamped out, he will order the immediate opening of the ports for store cattle intended for the markets?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have no particular information respecting the case referred to in the first part of the question. In consequence of the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in county Kildare the Board, acting in consultation with the Irish Department, decided that the trade in live stock between Ireland and Great Britain must be placed temporarily under restrictions as a precaution against the introduction of infection. In reply to the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the previous question.