§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Agriculture how much Dutch meat has ever been found to have passed the Dutch inspection which could be a source of infection; if he is aware that Holland closed her frontiers against the transit trade of meat so that in future it will not be possible for meat to be imported from Rotterdam which has not stood the test of the Dutch inspection; and if he will remove the embargo on Dutch meat?
Mr. GUINNESSIt is impossible to say how much Dutch meat imported into this country might have been the source of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, because carcases of animals slaughtered in the incubative stages of the disease would not show lesions which could be recognised by veterinary inspectors either in Holland or in this country. As I have already stated, I am not prepared to withdraw the prohibition on the importation of Dutch meat.
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