Major Braithwaiteasked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the fact that the principal source of infection causing outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in this country is imported meat, and in order to provide guarantees against the sale of such diseased meat to the public, in addition to safeguarding our flocks and herds from slaughter, with consequent heavy expenditure on compensation, whether he is prepared to undertake, after giving due warning, that in future the import of meat will be prohibited from any country which has not taken satisfactory steps to eradicate this disease.
Mr. HudsonI have consulted my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Minister of Food on this matter. I am advised that there is no evidence of danger to human health from the importation into this country of carcases from countries in which foot-and-mouth disease occurs, though there is a serious danger to our own farm animals if they are allowed to come into contact with meat which may be infected. There would be difficulty about adopting the course proposed in the Question at present.