Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 9 December 1929.
Mr Leonard Matters
, Lambeth Kennington
asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has been able to ascertain whether the active virus of foot-and-mouth disease is introduced to this country in the marrow of the bones of chilled beef imported from the Argentine Republic?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
The experiments of the Foot-and-mouth Disease Research Commitee have shown that the virus of foot-and-mouth disease remains active in bone marrow which has been kept at a low temperature for 76 days. While it is, therefore, theoretically possible for the disease to be introduced into this country in the way suggested, there is no positive evidence that this has, in fact, happened.
Mr Leonard Matters
, Lambeth Kennington
Has the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to a statement in a London journal that this committee has determined that infection from the Argentine Republic is coming into the country in the manner indicated by my question?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
There is no evidence to that effect.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
