§ Lord Greavesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in pursuing the slaughter policy in order to combat the foot and mouth outbreak, they are prepared in extremis to allow the extermination of the Herdwick and other breeds of fell sheep of the Lake District National Park; and, if not, whether they are making plans for a possible programme of vaccination of these animals; or whether they have any other plans for preventing such extermination, and if so, what these are. [HL1732]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)The Government are determined to do all they can to try to ensure that the culling policies needed to deal with foot and mouth do not endanger the survival of Herdwick and other breeds of fell sheep in the Lake District National Park. The Chief Scientific Advisor's foot and mouth disease science group does not recommend a vaccination programme for sheep or rare breeds. The Ministry published proposals for protection of hefted sheep on 19 April. Copies of these are on the Ministry's website.