I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time.
The primary purpose of this short Bill is to continue for some time further the operation of the General Cattle Diseases Fund established under the Diseases of Animals Acts for the purpose of effecting a more equitable incidence among local authorities of the cost of performing their functions under the Acts in dealing with certain animal diseases, which may happen to affect some areas— especially the poorer areas—more than others. Moneys are paid into the fund from three sources, (1) local rate assessments, constituting the principal source, (2) contributions from the Exchequer equivalent to one-fourth of the compensation paid by local authorities for animals slaughtered under the Bovine Tuberculosis Order of 1926, and (3) fines recovered for certain offences against the Diseases of Animals Acts. The maximum contribution to the fund from local rate assessments was fixed in 1894 at ½d. in the £ at any one time, subject to a maximum total of assessments of 8d. in the £. The maximum total of assessments has since been increased by a number of amending Acts. The last increase in the maximum total of assessments was 2d. under the 1949 Act, bringing the total from 1894 onwards to ? in the £. This total amount has now been assessed and the fund is nearing exhaustion. The amount in the fund on 31st December, 1953, was £9,236; the payments out of the fund during the year 1953 amounted to £34,584. The further increase of the maximum total of assessments by 2d. in the £ is now proposed under Clause I of the Bill. The maximum local rate assessment which may be made at any one time for contribution to the fund remains at ½d. in the £. An assessment of ½d. in the £ realises about £27,500.
The payments out of the fund to local authorities comprise half of each local authority's expenditure under the Diseases of Animals Acts. The main items of such expenditure are (1) the salaries for duties under the Acts of the local authority veterinary inspectors who are mostly part-time; (2) compensation payments under the Bovine Tuberculosis Order of 1926, and (3) expenditure in connection with sheep dipping. The main duties of local authority veterinary inspectors under the Acts comprise—
(a) examination of all animals reported under the Bovine Tuberculosis Order of 1926 and the slaughtering of the animal where appropriate;
(b) supervision of sheep dipping;
(c) attendance at fairs in connection with the operation of the Sheep Scab Order and other Orders under the Diseases of Animals Acts;
(d) attendance at all cases or suspected cases of scheduled animal diseases.
Veterinary inspectors are, of course, also employed by local authorities for public health duties in relation to meat and milk hygiene but the expenditure in that connection does not come within the scope of the General Cattle Diseases Fund. According as the central veterinary services of my Department have developed through the years, some of the veterinary functions formerly proper to the local authorities have become the responsibility of the central authority. It is obvious that, for example, should diseases of national significance occur here, such as foot and mouth disease, fowl pest, etc.—from which we are of course happily free—they could only be dealt with adequately by the central authority. It would not be appropriate, however, to abolish entirely the local authority veterinary services under the Diseases of Animals Acts although they may be expected to diminish as such—for example as regards bovine tuberculosis in respect of which a comprehensive national scheme is now envisaged. The existing local authority veterinary arrangements need some reorganisation, however, and this has been receiving my Department's attention.
Certain anomalies as regards the extent and grouping of individual districts, the salaries attached to the posts, etc., have accumulated through the years. These anomalies are being remedied as far as circumstances allow but it will be some time before the reorganisation can be completed throughout the entire country, as the existing tenure of posts in many cases makes immediate reorganisation rather difficult. The local authority veterinary inspectors may, of course, engage in private practice and an important effect of reorganisation in some counties should be to bring about a better distribution of veterinary surgeons in the counties concerned. In some areas veterinary surgeons are sparse and farmers frequently have to incur considerable expenditure in obtaining the services of a veterinary surgeon. Where, as in some counties on the west coast, the reorganisation measures will involve an increase in the number of local part-time inspectors the veterinary services available to farmers generally in the counties will be considerably improved. The significant increase in the number of practising veterinary surgeons in recent years is to be welcomed but many more are needed, particularly in the Gaeltacht and congested districts generally. The increase in the number will materially assist the reorganisation of the local authority veterinary services which is now proceeding.
With regard to expenditure by local authorities under the Bovine Tuberculosis Order of 1926 the position has been that three-fourths of such expenditure is met from the Exchequer, i.e., one-half direct from the Vote for Agriculture and one-fourth indirectly through the General Cattle Diseases Fund. The number of animals slaughtered under this Order in recent years has been less than 1,000 per annum and it is clear that not much headway could be made under the Order towards the control of bovine tuberculosis.
As already announced, it is proposed to introduce at an early date a comprehensive scheme for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis. Proposals for obtaining some money from American Aid Grant Counterpart funds in connection with initiation of the scheme were submitted early last year to the American authorities and I hope to be able to start on the scheme this year. I am not yet, however, in a position to give details of it but, in general, the intention is that the scheme will provide for commencing with intensive eradication measures in one area with less intensive measures for a start in the rest of the country. The scheme will commence in each area on a voluntary basis but will have to be made compulsory when the proportion of farmers participating in it warrants such action. The administration of the Bovine Tuberculosis Order which is financed out of the General Cattle Diseases Fund will, of course, be reviewed in connection with the initiation of the comprehensive scheme.
As regards the administration by local authorities of the annual sheepdipping requirements, the number of outbreaks of sheep scab has been declining in recent years and is now very small. The decrease may largely be attributed to the increased use of benzene-hexachloride single-type dips which have proved very effective not only against sheep scab but also against skin parasites which are important means of spreading disease and in addition cause wastage of the animals and damage to the fleeces. With full co-operation by flock-owners, sheep scab could be entirely eradicated in a very short time.
Clause 2 of the Bill provides for extension of the power of making Orders under the Diseases of Animals Acts to enable the export of live pigeons to be prohibited except under licence. Since 1950, because of the position regarding animal disease (including poultry disease) in Britain and in continental countries, the export of live pigeons has been prohibited by an Order made under the Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions) Acts, but this control will lapse when the supplies and services legislation will expire next year. There is a possibility that in the course of return flights to this country, racing pigeons may introduce poultry or other animal disease, and it is, accordingly, essential that there should be power to regulate the export of such pigeons. It is not possible, however, to say at present whether or not the export prohibition will need to be continued when the present control Order will lapse next year; this will depend on the disease situation in Britain and elsewhere at the time.