2. Mr. Mark Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many pigs in how many herds have so far been slaughtered under the Aujeszky's disease eradication scheme.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mrs. Peggy Fenner)Authority has been given to slaughter over 94,000 pigs in 92 herds.
Mr. HughesI am grateful for that information. Will the Minister confirm that adequate arrangements have been made to prevent the importation of both classical 401 swine fever from Brabant and other parts of the Netherlands, and of African swine fever from Sardinia and Piedmont? Will the Minister accept that the burden of the levy for this level of slaughter on a hard-pressed pig industry is very considerable and that she should take steps to assist the pig industry by providing funds for the vet service or for other assistance?
§ Mrs. FennerThe answer to the hon. Gentleman's first point, is that pigmeat does not represent any significant risk. The live pig trade is very small and bilateral arrangements cover that. There is another question on the Order Paper about the pig industry, which may answer some of the hon. Gentleman's other points.