§ The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Fred Peart)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to make a statement on procedures for dealing with foot-and-mouth disease. My Department has had discussions with the National Farmers' Unions about the recommendations which they have put to me based on a report by their Northumberland and Roxburghshire county branches. I can and will gladly accept many of these recommendations. I am placing in the Library a document setting out the recommendations in full, together with my detailed comments.
Many of the recommendations relate to the arrangements for publicity and advice to the farming community and others when an outbreak occurs. This includes provision for warning notices on roads, posters for footpaths and farms, leaflets for the police, farmers and others in an infected area, and advice on movements of machinery and vehicles. Many of these recommendations are part of our ordinary practice, but I am grateful to the unions for the useful ideas which they have put forward in the light of the exceptional difficulties met with in Northumberland, and I shall make the utmost practicable use of them.
A number of recommendations are concerned with veterinary matters such as diagnosis and prevention of spread of disease. Here, as the unions would be the first to recognise, professional judgment must prevail. It is none the less important that farmer and veterinarian should understand each other's point of view, and in my comments I have dealt fully with the points raised.
Other recommendations deal with the organisation and technique of slaughter and disposal. After taking the advice of 418 animal welfare organisations and of a distinguished physiologist, I have concluded that the best course is to continue to use the captive bolt pistol and to follow it up by using the pithing cane. The reasons for this are set out fully in my comments. I entirely accept the importance of appointing a foreman to be in charge of operations at each infected place under the instruction of the veterinary officer, and I shall continue to follow this practice in the future.
Finally, the unions have made suggestions for mitigating losses resulting from outbreaks. The most practicable means of doing this is to make the best use of available slaughtering facilities. We always give full weight to this in defining boundaries of an infected area, but it cannot be the only consideration. My officials will consult with the unions on any proposed contraction of an area in case this may lead to slaughtering difficulties. I am awaiting further comments from the unions on ways and means of alleviating the difficulties of holders of clean stock.
I am indebted to the unions for their careful study of these matters. The success of my veterinary service in eliminating foot-and-mouth disease, whenever and wherever it unfortunately occurs, depends on the co-operation and understanding of the agricultural community. This has always been given in full measure, and I hope that the discussions which have taken place will lead to further improvements in our arrangements.
§ Mr. GodberI am sure that we on this side are glad that the Minister has made this careful assessment of the document submitted by the National Farmers' Union. We will wish to study his own document which will be in the Library and must, therefore, reserve detailed comments. The right hon. Gentleman put his recommendations into three categories. On the first, publicity, it is right to do the utmost. I know that the right hon. Gentleman realises as well as I do the difficulties in the second, the veterinary aspect, and the special problems of veterinary surgeons. I am glad to note what he said in this regard.
The third category is the one which has aroused most public concern, that is, slaughter. I note what the right hon. Gentleman has said about the captive bolt 419 pistol, and we will want to consider this again. I am sure that we all appreciate that what is required is the most painless way of disposing of these animals, which has to be done with great speed and often under great difficulties. We will, therefore, study the outcome of this. Unfortunate feelings were aroused over this outbreak, but if it leads to a means of ensuring better understanding of the problems and a better way of disposing of the animals, it will have done good.
§ Mr. PeartI am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his remarks. He rightly stresses that there are three important aspects of the report. There is publicity, which involves information and education, there is the veterinary aspect, and there are the slaughtering techniques. Here I wish to put on record my tribute to the R.S.P.C.A., to the Council of Justice to Animals and to the Humane Slaughter Association and to the distinguished physiologist, Dr. Bell, all of whom have given me advice on the subject.
§ Viscount LambtonI, too, would like to reserve my judgment until I have studied the paper in the Library. The most conspicuous thing that the Minister has said this morning—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Member must ask only elucidatory questions at this stage.
§ Viscount LambtonThe right hon. Gentleman refers to the use of the captive-bolt pistol which is to be followed by the cane poked into the brain. Am I right in thinking that that was the cause of many animals not being killed immediately last time?
§ Mr. PeartI appreciate that hon. Members must reserve their position at present as they naturally wish to read the report. As for the use of a captive-bolt pistol and the whole question of slaughter techniques, I took advice and I accept the recommendations of those bodies that the existing captive-bolt pistol must continue to be used for the time being as there is really no better weapon available to slaughtermen. The use of the pithing cane has been commented on by myself, and it is referred to in the report. In the circumstances it was right that I should accept what was put to me.
§ Mr. David SteelIs the Minister aware that his reference in the statement to the importance of warning posters will be greatly welcomed by farmers in my constituency who, as he knows, were critical of the previous posters. May I ask him whether the reference in the statement to
… alleviating the difficulties of holders of clean stockmeans that the Minister is fully seized of the hardship caused to holders of clean stock in the recent outbreak?
§ Mr. PeartYes, Sir. That is what I said, and I thought that I should emphasise it. We are to have further consultations with experts about the siting and layout of warning notices—for example, the warning notices on roads. I have dealt specifically with warning notices for foot-paths and farms, which are spelt out in greater detail, and I am sure that they will be welcomed by the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. JoplingWill the Minister say where he intends to recruit the foremen who will be in charge of slaughtering? What will be their qualifications? To what extent can the Minister guarantee that the actual slaughtering will be done only by licensed slaughtermen?
§ Mr. PeartRecruiting is a difficult problem. I have dealt with slaughtering and disposal. There is the question of whether we can have assistance from other organisations in time of emergency. Obviously we have to rely on existing procedures. I am considering whether it would be practicable for a military task force, for example, to give assistance. I am still discussing what help the military service can give. On the other hand, foremen should always be appointed in charge of operations—this is very vital, in relation to slaughtermen—and they would be under the instructions of the veterinary officer. I think that this is the main difficulty.
§ Mr. Peter MillsWould not the right hon. Gentleman agree that, looking at the problem, perhaps one of the reasons why in the past there have been these serious problems, and sometimes near-panic, has been the speed of the operation of slaughtering? Surely it is much better to carry out the job systematically and slowly, with the whole area sealed off, rather than try to kill off these flocks and herds very quickly.
§ Mr. PeartThe difficulty is that we have to act quickly. I am therefore very grateful for suggestions on how to improve the organisation. This is what the unions have done. Obviously, a large amount of unskilled labour will have to be used in any case. The question is whether we have the right organisation and whether it can act quickly—because speed is the essence of the operation.
§ Mr. GodberThe right hon. Gentleman might elucidate rather more his reference to a military task force. This has rather surprised me. Is he thinking of military veterinarians, or assistance towards slaughtering? What has he in mind?
§ Mr. PeartIt has been put to me that we might, for example, use the civil defence people, and also military personnel in certain circumstances. I have quite an open mind on the subject. We are looking at it and I am having consultations.
§ Several Hon. Members rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder.