Sir T. HENDERSONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Teviotdale Farmers' Club, which represents a large number of sheep breeders in Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire, has made representation to his Department to use its influence with local authorities in England to remove the double dipping regulations, as regards sheep from areas free from sheep scab, without result; and, if so, seeing that there can be no danger of introducing sheep scab from districts where no such disease exists, he will state what are the reasons of his Department for not acting as craved?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe reply to the first part is in the affirmative. Regulations made by local authorities under the1630W Sheep Scab Order of 1920, governing the movement of sheep into their districts, are of a protective character. Many local authorities in England apply double dipping regulations to sheep moved into their district from any part of Scotland, and where this is the case such local authorities would doubtless hesitate to make any distinction in favour of Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire unless the local authorities of those counties themselves imposed similar regulations in respect of sheep moved thereto from any other county in Scotland. The matter is, however, primarily one for the consideration of local authorities, and the Ministry does not desire to interfere with the discretion of local authorities in this respect.