Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYasked the Minister of Agriculture the terms of the agreement recently arrived at with the Canadian Government with regard to the entry of Canadian store cattle into this country?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe terms of the agreement are as follow:—
Canadian store cattle (i.e., animals born and reared in Canada and rendered incapable of breeding) are to be admitted under the following restrictions:The agreement makes provision to secure that the vessels used shall not be capable of infecting the cargo and also provides for effective action if disease should be found in a cargo. The landing 906W of Canadian cattle capable of breeding will require the authority of a General Order which will be made by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and laid in draft before both Houses of Parliament for 30 days, and if either House before the expiration of that period presents an Address to His Majesty against the draft or any part thereof, no further proceedings shall be taken thereon. It is an essential part of any such Order that the animals must be accompanied by a certificate by the authorised officer of the Dominion stating that the animals have within one month before shipment been tested effectively for tuberculosis and found free from that disease, and the Minister is given the fullest discretion as to the precautions to be enforced against the introduction of other diseases by these animals. The Minister is to retain the power to suspend importation of store and breeding animals if cattle plague, pleuro-pneumonia, or foot-and-mouth disease should appear in Canada. A fee not exceeding sixpence an animal is to be imposed on all imported animals, and compensation is not payable in case of slaughter at the place of landing in consequence of disease being discovered. For administrative purposes imported animals are to be tagged or otherwise marked. The Canadian Ministers at the Conference undertook that as soon as the necessary Order authorising importation of Canadian breeding stock is in force the Canadian Government will modify their conditions of importation of British animals so as to make the Canadian and British conditions reciprocal.
- (1) The shipment must be from a Canadian port and direct to a port in Great Britain.
- (2) For three days immediately before shipment and during the voyage the animals are to be kept separate from other animals and periodically examined by a veterinary officer of the Dominion. A thorough examination immediately before shipment is to be made by the Dominion veterinary officer, who will certify that the animals are not affected with cattle plague, pleuro-pneumonia, foot-and-mouth disease or mange. During the voyage the examination is to be made daily.
- (3) The animals are to be landed at specified landing places and there thoroughly examined by the Ministry's veterinary officers. Movement from the landing place is to be controlled by licence in the same manner as the movement of imported Irish cattle is at present controlled. This secures detention of the animals on some farm or other premises for six days, though they may pass to such premises through one market."
§ Mr. MILLARasked the Minister of Agriculture when the agreement recently entered into with the Canadian Government for the importation of Canadian cattle into the United Kingdom will become operative; and what steps are being taken to bring it into effect?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe agreement will become operative as soon as the necessary legislation can be passed. A Bill will be introduced in the course of the next few days.