HL Deb 22 July 1968 vol 295 cc660-2

2.43 p.m.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, I beg leave 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 they will reimpose compulsory dipping of sheep throughout Great Britain.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the Diseases of Animals Act provides for the compulsory dipping of sheep only as a remedy for sheep scab. No case of this disease has occurred in this country since 1952, and there seems no justification for the reintroduction of compulsory dipping.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, may I ask two questions? The first is, what steps are to be taken in respect of diseases caused by ticks, which are louping tickborne fever and tick pyaemia in lambs? Secondly, although dipping is regulated at county level, should it not be national? Lambs are transported over the country for winter keep and are re-sold in the spring. The spring is too cold for dipping, so if they have not been dipped as lambs tick viruses are increased. Ticks may be brought into the houses by dogs, so should not sheep dipping be restored for economic and domestic reasons and to prevent cruelty to animals?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the only notifiable disease is sheep scab. As there has been no case of sheep scab since 1952, there is no longer any necessity to make dipping compulsory. I agree with the noble Lord that dipping also controls external parasites such as lice, and dipping for this is, of course, a matter for the farmer. Good husbandry ought to require that dipping should be continued by the farmers.

LORD BANNERMAN OF KILDONAN

My Lords, would it not be wise to have one statutory dipping in the year to control these other pests and also to prevent the possibility of sheep scab returning to the country. Sheep scab did develop in a particular farm known to myself, through the fact that the sheep were not dipped.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I quite believe that, and that is the reason why there was compulsory dipping. But it was very effective, with the consequence that the disease has practically disappeared from this country. However, in five local areas in Scotland it is still compulsory to dip the sheep. The five local authorities in Scotland are the only local authorities in the whole of the United Kingdom who still consider it necessary to have compulsory dipping.

LORD NUNBURNHOLME

My Lords, if five areas in Scotland find it necessary, surely it should apply to the whole of England. It is no use having dipping in one area and not in another.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I should think it would be most unwarranted for us to say what should or should not be done in those five local authority areas in Scotland; and similarly I should think it most unwise to suggest that because they do it in those five areas in Scotland the whole of the rest of the United Kingdom should follow suit.

LORD STRANGE

My Lords, in supporting the noble Lord, Lord Nunburnholme, may I ask whether the noble Lord, Lord Beswick, is aware how bad is the tick menace throughout the country? Is he aware that in districts which are infested by ticks the farmers welcome the dipping of their sheep? Not only do they dip their sheep, but they swim their dogs through the dip as well.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, that is excellent. If the farmer dips his sheep that is some indication that he is a good farmer. But, my Lords, I think it is a little hard that when this Government try to do something compulsorily they are criticised, and when we say that it should be left to the initiative of farmers and others we are criticised, too.