§ 14. Mrs. Sally Oppenheimasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to oblige local authorities to forbid the siting of skin and bone processing premises adjacent to, or within, cattle markets.
§ Mr. StodartI do not consider it necessary to seek such powers. The risks of siting processing premises near cattle markets can be avoided by proper management and my Department is always ready to give advice on the precautions needed.
§ Mrs. OppenheimIs my hon. Friend familiar with the report of the committee of inquiry set up following the outoreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 1967 which said categorically that such premises presented a high disease risk? Therefore, must not a cattle market be one of the most undesirable places to site such premises because, unlike food processing plants or abattoirs, skin and bone is left about in piles, uncovered, thereby contributing largely to fly-borne and bird-borne disease of livestock? Can my hon. Friend say why his Department has not even issued an advisory circular to local authorities about this?
§ Mr. StodartI think my hon. Friend is referring to the Northumberland Report. It said that hides and skins and other materials should be moved only under licence in infected areas and that is being done to this day. That was the 1108 advice given and it was very sound. By proper management and by not allowing dogs, birds or vermin to gain access to materials of this kind, the risk is very small. Gloucester has asked my Department for suggested conditions which might be incorporated in any lease granted for the use of a proposed site for this type of business.