§ 2.40 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, I beg to ask the Second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress is being made in the prevention and cure of Johne's disease in sheep and cattle.]
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, research and investigation into problems associated with Johne's disease are continuing. In particular, vaccination trials are taking place and a blood test is being developed to identify infected animals. It has long been known that losses as a result of the disease can be reduced by improved hygiene, nutrition and management on the farm. It would be wrong to hold out any great expectations of finding a cure for diseased animals, but I am hopeful that efficient preventive measures will ultimately emerge from all the work that is now being done and so lead eventually to the control of the disease.
§ VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARDMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. No doubt the noble Earl is aware that on certain outlying farms there are cases of this wasting disease. Often a farmer does not know what it is and sells his infected stock or the progeny of the infected stock on the open market. I wonder whether Her Majesty's Government could, by some means, try to prevent this practice. I quite understand that it is an extremely difficult problem, but this does happen.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords. I appreciate what the noble Viscount has said. We do encourage farmers to watch out for this disease. The veterinary surgeons are also fully aware of the problem and do all they can to educate and assist the farmer.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, would it be possible for the noble Earl, who is always very generous to the House, to produce for the next main debate on agriculture some statistics on this disease and how it is being treated? This disease is 1090 causing considerable alarm among the farmers, who often mix up the symptoms with those due to lack of magnesium and other allied minerals, and we ought to try to get it rooted out. Could the noble Earl give us more statistics and advice on this subject in our next debate?
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, I think it would be more appropriate if the noble Viscount would put down a Question, either for oral or for written answer, rather than for me to produce a number of statistics for a debate which will probably range over a wider field.