§ Mr. STURROCKasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the renewed appeal made by leading Scottish agriculturists for the admission of Canadian cattle into this country; and whether, in view of the consumers' need of all available supplies of meat, in order that prices may be brought down, and of the complete freedom of Canada from the disease which was originally urged as the reason for the embargo, he can now state whether the Government has come to a new decision on this question?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThe Ministry is aware of the desire for the admission of store cattle from Canada on the part of certain agriculturists, and the Minister has recently received a deputation from the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture on the subject. There is, however, a marked lack of unanimity on the part of agriculturists in Scotland as well as in other parts of the United Kingdom with regard to this matter, and in view of the present position of stock-breeding in the United Kingdom and the improbability of any increase in meat supplies resulting from the admission of store cattle, the Minister does not propose to introduce the new legislation that would be necessary to remove the existing embargo. So far as the consumers' interests are concerned, there is, of course, no restriction on the importation of Canadian cattle, provided they are slaughtered immediately at the port of landing.