§ 18. Sir A. Hurdasked the Secretary of State for Air if the pigs at Melksham Royal Air Force Station which recently contracted foot-and-mouth disease were fed on kitchen waste which included scraps of imported meat; and what measures are taken at Royal Air Force stations to ensure the proper sterilisation of kitchen waste by boiling as required by law.
§ Mr. J. AmeryThe kitchen waste included scraps of imported meat but I am assured that it had been properly sterilised in accordance with the Diseases of Animals (Waste Foods) Order, 1957.
§ Sir A. HurdHow can that be? If these unhappy pigs contact foot-and-mouth disease when living on this swill, containing scraps of South American meat, they can only have got the infection from the meat. Will my right hon. Friend issue special instructions to all Royal Air Force stations which keep pigs that if they use kitchen waste, especially if it contains scraps of South American meat, it must be thoroughly —underlining "thoroughly"—boiled, as a good example to other people who keep pigs?
§ Mr. AmeryI understand that the stuff is boiled in the technical sense of the word. It has not been possible to trace the source of infection in this case. I cannot say for certain that the imported meat was the source of infection, although it may well have been.
§ Sir A. HurdWill my right hon. Friend issue such instructions? Surely, it should be right for the Air Force to give a lead to other people who keep pigs.
§ Mr. AmeryWe are always glad to give a lead, but I will have to look into the exact considerations that flow from my hon. Friend's suggestion.