HL Deb 15 December 1970 vol 313 cc1271-3
BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

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 how many diagnostic centres for brucellosis are in operation, and how many diagnoses they carry out per week.]

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, in all, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Scottish Agricultural Colleges operate 30 centres for brucellosis tests. Last month those centres carried out, in total, an average of 69,240 tests per week. This was in addition to tests carried out by organisations such as the Milk Marketing Board and in private veterinary practices, and the laboratory work on the human health aspects of brucellosis.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask him whether he is satisfied that the results of these tests reach the farmers in the minimum possible time? Is he aware that a test need take only one hour, but that many farmers are complaining that a period of something like three weeks elapses before they hear the result?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, I have to be rather careful in answering these questions on brucellosis because, as your Lordships are aware, there are two Questions down on the Order Paper to-day and two on Thursday, and it is rather difficult not to encroach, so to speak, on the ground of other Questions. The noble Baroness is aware that there are a number of different tests on brucellosis, and although some take a comparatively short time, others take longer. Very often, when you get a positive result on the first test you have to re-check with more sophisticated tests; and sometimes when you get a negative result on the first test, you then have to wait a further period before checking again.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, in view of the fact that all the farmer needs is some confirmation of the condition of his cow, which he has kept in isolation all that time, can the noble Lord tell me what is, after all this checking and re-checking, the average time taken for the farmer to learn whether the cow is diseased or not?

LORD DENHAM

Nine days, my Lords.

LORD WYNNE-JONES

My Lords, cannot the noble Lord ensure that the farmer is given at least as much information as the doctor normally gives his patient?

LORD DENHAM

I think that is probably done, my Lords.

LORD ROWALLAN

My Lords, my information is that there are still very many cases in which a period of three weeks elapses between the time when the sample is taken and the time when the farmer is told the result of the test. I think it is very important—

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS

Question!

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (EARL JELLICOE)

My Lords, could the noble Lord frame his supplementary as a question?

LORD KILBRACKEN

My Lords, is not the noble Lord's last answer to my noble friend Lady Summerskill clear evidence that there are not sufficient diagnostic centres at present? Will the Government give an assurance that they will try to increase the number as rapidly as possible?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, I can give the assurance that the number of diagnostic centres is being kept under review, and if it is shown that there are not enough Her Majesty's Government will certainly do what they can to increase the number. But I cannot accept the fact, either that three weeks is the average time that it takes—

LORD KILBRACKEN

The maximum time.

LORD DENHAM

—or that this is due to the fact that there are not enough facilities. The reason why it sometimes takes three weeks is that a second test, and sometimes a third, is necessary before a definite result can be achieved.

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