Foot-and-Mouth Disease

HC Deb 26 June 1961 vol 643 cc29-30

35. Sir A. Hurd

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further reports he has received from his veterinary officers in Argentina showing the progress of the Argentine Government's campaign to confine foot-and-mouth disease by compulsory vaccination; and if the measures so far taken have had any significant effect on the risk of infection being carried by chilled and frozen meat shipped to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Soames

It seems clear from reports by my veterinary officers in the Argentine that the Argentine Government's vaccination campaign against foot-and-mouth disease is making progress. Vaccination is said to have been completed in the buffer zone north of Patagonia, and in the province of La Pampa. In the province of Buenos Aires, from which most of the meat exported to this country is derived, about 80 per cent. of the cattle have been vaccinated. It is too early as yet to measure with any precision what has been the effect of this progress on the risk of infection being carried in meat shipped here from South America.

Sir A. Hurd

Does my right hon. Friend get the impression that this is really satisfactory progress and that the Argentine authorities are now really seriously tackling the problem of foot-and-mouth disease? Can the Minister say if any requests have been made to the research station at Pirbright for assistance in this matter?

Mr. Soames

Concerning the first part of my hon. Friends supplementary question, we all agree that considerable progress has been made in quite a short time in the Argentine. I cannot, however, answer the second part without notice.

Mr. Woodburn

Can the Minister say whether it is accepted that vaccination is now effective in this matter? Is he now prepared to authorise farmers in this country to use it?

Mr. Soames

There is no doubt that vaccination in a country the size of Argentine, with the number of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease with which they have to contend—and the same applies in France—is most advantageous. But in a country such as ours, where the disease is not endemic and the number of outbreaks is comparatively small, by far the better means of control is slaughter, and that, indeed, is the point which many other countries would like to reach.