§ Mr. Mathewasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will announce the date when store cattle from the Irish Republic, which have passed one tuberculin test, will cease to be imported into Great Britain.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Government have agreed with the Government of the Irish Republic the terms on which the importation of once-tested store cattle into Great Britain may be ended as from 31st December, 1962.
On 23rd March, 1959, the Government announced their intention that as soon as possible after the whole of Great Britain became attested in 1960 imports of store cattle into Great Britain should be confined to attested animals. Since, however, enough attested cattle were unlikely to be available for importation by that time, the Government had informed the Government of the Irish Republic that for five years, subject to annual review, we should be prepared to allow the continued importation into Great Britain of cattle which had passed a single tuberculin test not more than 14 days before export.
A joint review of this arrangement has recently been made, taking into account:
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- (i) the marked and progressive increase during the past year in the number and proportion of store cattle of attested status imported into Great Britain from the Irish Republic;
- (ii) the related sharp decline in the number of once-tested store cattle imported into Great Britain; and
- (iii) the satisfactory progress of the tuberculosis clearance measures now in operation in nine eastern and midland counties of the Irish Republic. With the ten counties which have already been declared attested, these counties are the main source of supply of store cattle for export to Great Britain.
It has been agreed between the two Governments that on the understanding that these nine eastern and midland counties will become attested by the end of the present year, the present arrangements for the import of once-tested store cattle into Great Britain from the Irish Republic should terminate on 31st December, 1962.