Fowl Pest (Hansard, 27 March 1963)

§ 10. Mr. Hilton
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in the vaccination of poultry against fowl pest.

§ Mr. Soames
On 18th February, I told the House that 32 million doses of subsidised fowl pest vaccine had been sold since 5th November last year. In the six weeks since, a further 27 million doses have been sold, making 50 million doses in all. This is sufficient to treat about 40 per cent. of the poultry which should have been vaccinated since 5th November, 1962.
This increase in sales is welcome but there is still much farther to go if we are to reach our vaccination target of 80 per cent. or more of the national flock. The best cover has been given in areas such as East Anglia and Lancashire which have been most exposed to the disease: the worst has been in areas such as Wales and the north where the disease has rarely penetrated. With permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of sales of vaccine made through my Department.
Outbreaks of the disease are now running at a low level and there is good evidence that when the disease strikes vaccinated flocks its effects are usually slight. In a few days' time vaccination will be the industry's only defence against fowl pest, and I do urge all poultry keepers to see that their flocks are protected no matter what part of the country they may be in.

§ Mr. Hilton
While I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that long reply, may I ask whether he would not agree that the response so far is very unsatisfactory? What steps is he taking to ensure that as far as possible all the vaccine is really effective? Is he aware that there lime been cases where poultry keepers have conscientiously vaccinated their poultry but have still had fowl pest and have had to slaughter? What steps is he taking to compensate poultry keepers when the vaccine is ineffective?

§ Mr. Soames
All compensation, except for the per-acute form of the disease of Fowl Plague, ends on 31st March. It has been shown that the effect of the disease on vaccinated birds is much slighter than it is on unvaccinated birds, 1298 and vaccination is, thus, undoubtedly of great advantage to poultry keepers. What is wanted, of course, is that we should get a sufficient coverage of vaccinated birds throughout the country. Up to 85 per cent. is what we are aiming at, so that the flocks will not be it such risk as they are today.

§ Mr. Prior
Is my right hon. Friend aware that as fast as we can get rid of one disease we get another in East Anglia, and is he aware that there I now have a disease called Beechingitis?

§ Mr. Soames
I do not think that East Anglia is the only part of the country likely to be affected by that disease.

§ Mr. Speaker
That does not arise on this Question anyhow.

SUBSIDISED FOWL PEST VACCINE
Summary for period 3th November, 1962 to 22nd March, 1963
Region		Number of applications for vaccine	Total number of doses of vaccine ordered
			('000)
Eastern	…	6,201	11,585.0
East Midland	…	1,954	2,776.6
Northern	…	923	815.7
South Eastern	…	3,636	5,504.4
South Western	…	1,949	2,572.6
West Midland	…	2,580	3,125.5
Yorks/Lancs	…	5,575	7,352.6
Wales	…	665	523.9
^*H.Q. Tolworth	…	503	24,747.4
TOTALS	…	23,986	59,003.7
^* The arrangement for the supply of vaccine to large poultry organisations is being made by the Head Office of the Ministry's Animal Health Division at Tolworth. Just over 3,000 flocks are being supplied with vaccine under this arrangement, but it is not possible to apportion the vaccine issued on a geographical basis.