This Bill is entitled the Diseases of Animals Bill. The original Act in this connection was passed in 1878, and an amending Act was passed in 1914. This is a continuing Act. The Diseases of Animals Fund is made up by a local levy which pays half the amount that has to be paid under the Diseases of Animals Act in a particular county or county borough for the year, and the other half is provided from a Central Fund. The Central Fund is collected from the whole country, also, by a rate, so that really the Diseases of Animals Fund comes altogether from local rates. It is, however, complicated in this way, that a county pays half, even though it may have a very heavy charge for the year owing to swine fever or some other disease, and the other half comes from a general fund levied over the whole country. That levy from the whole country is got by a farthing or a halfpenny rate, as the case may be, each year, and it is put into the Central Fund for this purpose. Under the original Act, passed in 1878, there was authority to go only to 8d., that is, when the total sum of 8d. had been levied over the various years, it ceased. The amending Act, passed in 1914, brought the total up to 1/-. This Bill proposes to bring the total up to 1/6. I do not know if there is any opposition to the Bill, which is really a continuing Bill of the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1878 and 1914. The diseases that are dealt with under this Bill are particularly defined as tuberculosis, swine fever, glanders, anthrax and sheep scab. The disease of foot and mouth is not dealt with under the provisions of this Bill, but it is dealt with in another way.
Public Business. - Diseases of Animals Bill, 1932—Second and Final Stages.
The Minister has been very brief in his explanation of the meaning of the Bill. Am I to assume that the amount of money in the fund is not sufficient to meet the demands made on it and hence the necessity for increasing the rate from 1/- to 1/6 or is it on account of the development of new diseases that it is found necessary?
It is not due to the development of any new diseases but that the total levy of a farthing or a halfpenny added each year could only go as far as 8d. Under the 1914 Act, it could go another 4d. and now we are asking another 6d, not that we are going to levy 6d this year but, for the years to come, it may amount to an extra 6d.
I assume that the occasion has already arisen?
Yes the shilling has now been exceeded.
I do not propose to oppose this Bill. I realise it is necessary that the money should be provided for this particular purpose. If animals have to be slaughtered, on account of the diseases enumerated by the Minister, it is necessary that there should be some fund out of which the owners can be compensated.