§ 18. Mr. Goughasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consider taking steps to have vibrio coli classified as a notifiable disease.
Mr. AmoryI am advised that this particular form of diarrhoea in pigs cannot readily be distinguished from others, and, indeed, it is only after elaborate tests that a clear positive diagnosis can be established. In the circumstances, no useful purpose would be served by making it notifiable.
§ Mr. GoughDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that the experts know very little about this disease? Will he bear in mind the experience of one of my constituents who, not long ago, suffered 1051 a catastrophic financial loss owing to the advice given by my right hon. Friend's technical friends to slaughter the whole of his herd because they knew nothing about vibrio coli?
Mr. AmoryAs far as the first part of my hon. Friend's question is concerned, I agree that there is still a lack of detailed information about this disease, but as regards the second part, I could not acknowledge for a minute that the serious loss caused to my hon. Friend's constituent—and I agree that it was a serious loss, and I am very sorry for it—was in any way due to advice received from my Department.
§ Mr. GoughDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that this may be a new and terribly serious disease which has come into this country? Will not he at least tell the House that his officials are giving it the fullest possible consideration?
Mr. AmoryI gladly do that. A great deal of work is being done upon this disease in several of our institutes in this country.