§ 22. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will compensate the owners of vaccinated flocks which succumb to fowl pest.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartNo, Sir. It is not the Government's responsibility to compensate farmers for losses from disease except where we require animals or birds to be slaughtered.
§ Mr. FarrDoes not my hon. Friend think that the introduction of that policy would be a useful encouragement to flock-owners to vaccinate?
§ Mr. StodartNo, Sir. The policy of compensation was followed and was a failure up to 1963, when there were over 2,000 outbreaks in a year. The policy of vaccination caused the outbreaks to fall to fewer than 40, and vaccination is clearly the best policy.