§ 18. Mr. Kitsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to encourage the voluntary scheme for brucellosis control.
§ Mr. PeartI am confident that the many advantages of freedom from brucellosis will encourage farmers who can qualify to take advantage of the facilities offered by this scheme so that the reservoir of accredited brucellosis-free stock essential to any campaign of eradication can be built up.
§ Mr. KitsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the British Veterinary Association is concerned that the scheme will take a long time to come properly into operation and that the E.E.C. directive on trade now forbids the importation of live cattle from this country because of brucellosis? This will be very serious for our pedigree breeders.
§ Mr. PeartI have always recognised that it is important to have a brucellosis scheme and I only wish that my predecessors had done this. As the hon. Member knows, I have announced a 521 scheme. I do not share the criticism of the veterinary profession in this respect. The hon. Member is on a wrong point.