HC Deb 04 December 1980 vol 995 cc412-3
4. Mr. Gummer

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on his proposals to deal with pseudo-rabies, Aujeszky's disease.

Mr. Peter Walker

I gave a full statement on 24 June of the Government's conclusion on the action that should be taken on Aujeszky's disease. We are now considering a suggestion made by producers' representatives that a poll should be undertaken by the Government to ascertain the degree of support in the industry for a producer-financed eradication scheme. A further meeting with producers' representatives is being arranged to examine this suggestion.

Mr. Gummer

Will my right hon. Friend accept that Aujeszky's disease is rampant in certain areas of the country and that it is difficult, therefore, to get the whole of the country to support a scheme in one way or another? Is he aware that in my constituency there are large numbers of farmers who are in great difficulty over Aujeszky's disease and who believe that the Ministry must take a lead on this matter and not just leave it to the National Farmers Union?

Mr. Walker

The Government made clear their position as to the priorities of eradication in relation to the public finance that is available and indicated that this was not something that could be financed out of public expenditure. There are a number of major pig producers who remain genuinely opposed to an eradication scheme. Aujeszky's disease exists in almost every other country in the world where there are pigs, and no other country has pursued an eradication policy. The Government, therefore, are saying to the industry that if it feels, on balance, that the disease should be eradicated, they are prepared to consider a scheme financed by producers as a perfectly reasonable proposition.

Sir Paul Bryan

Does the Minister recall, from his visit to the East Riding earlier in the year, that in my constituency we have a large number of very progressive pig farmers and that they were very disappointed that the Government did not adopt a slaughter policy with regard to Aujeszky's disease? Will the Minister note that they will take some satisfaction from knowing that the Government are still taking this matter seriously and pursuing some alternative policy?

Mr. Walker

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I recall that at the meetings we had the farmers asked that, whatever conclusions we came to, we would give them the opportunity of expressing support for the possibility of a producer-financed eradication scheme. We are considering the details of that at the present time. The number of outbreaks this year is very similar to the number in the year before. There is no indication of the type of flare-up of the disease that had been feared in some quarters.

I should like to eradicate every disease, but there is a priority in terms of public expenditure as to what we can eradicate. If producers are willing to finance an eradication scheme, obviously I must consider the proposal.