I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he will say whether the recent practices in connection with the exportation of English blood cattle to Argentina have come under his notice; will he say what new steps have been taken to deal with the spread of tuberculosis in that country owing to these practices; and further, as the tuberculine test has admittedly broken down, can the importation of cattle into this country, possibly consumed with tuberculosis, be effectually guarded against.

The Answer to the first part of my hon. friend's Question is in the affirmative. I understand that in consequence of the malpractices which have been dis- covered, the Argentine Government propose to take over the quarantine station and make it a Government institution, to control the importation and sale of tuberculine, and to increase the penalties for infringements of the Animal Sanitary Law. With regard to the last part of my hon. friend's Question, I may point out that the statutory requirement of slaughter at the ports of all animals imported into this country affords a safeguard against the introduction of tuberculous cattle.