§ 2.55 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT LONGMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the recent serious outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, there are in force any regulations to ensure that all motor cars entering this country are disinfected at the United Kingdom port or aerodrome of arrival.]
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, there are no such regulations in force. The suggestion that motor cars from the Continent should be disinfected has been given much thought, but my Department's veterinary staff consider that the risk of their spreading foot and mouth disease is negligible. My right honourable friend has, therefore, taken the view that special regulations for disinfection, which would interfere considerably with the normal course of traffic, would not he justified. This is, however, one of the questions which will be considered by the Gowers Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease which are now taking evidence.
§ VISCOUNT LONGMy Lords, in thanking my noble friend for his reply, may I say that I am glad to note that there is to be a Committee on this question. May I ask, whatever that Committee decide, would it not be a wise thing that, as an experiment—and it would cost nothing—cars going to the Continent, especially by air for one day and coming 1066 back into Kent and Surrey, should go through the usual precautionary disinfection which all of us have to go through when foot and mouth disease is near our farms?
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I think it would be better to wait until this expert Committee have reported. They are inquiring into this sort of thing. That is what the Committee were set up to do, and perhaps, if we waited, we should obtain further information about the question.