asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now state the policy of his Department with regard to the importation of Swedish Landrace pigs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will now allow the importation of more Landrace pigs for breeding purposes in Scotland.

At the request of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, an Order will be made permitting the import of a limited number of Landrace pigs into Scotland, subject to veterinary safeguards. I am not at present satisfied that a further import into England and Wales is justified, but I am keeping under review the whole question of future imports of Landrace pigs.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that the result of his policy is that the English farmers have had to pay £1,000 for a Landrace pig, that the farmers in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have got them for one-tenth of that price, and that the Scottish farmers have not been allowed to import them on any scale? How does the right hon. Gentleman, as an English Minister, justify his action in refusing to allow Scottish farmers to get the best pig for the job, after urging those farmers to produce the best quality bacon?

If the hon. Gentleman will read my answer, he will see that I shall allow some pigs into Scotland in the immediate future. My responsibility here is for animal health, and I must be extremely careful about the importation of any live animals from the Continent.

Can the Minister say how many pigs he will allow to be imported into Scotland, and can he tell us why there should be these restrictions on their import?

The restriction is purely on animal health grounds, because we must be extremely careful as far as health is concerned. As regards numbers, I am in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.