HL Deb 10 February 1986 vol 471 cc3-5

2.42 p.m.

The Earl of Shannon

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the indiscriminate establishment of large farm livestock units constitutes a danger as they may lead to the spread of infectious animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease.

The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)

My Lords, larger units of production have been a feature of the livestock industry in both this country and in other member countries of the European Community for some years. The difficulties likely to be encountered on such holdings in the event of a major disease outbreak such as foot and mouth disease would include speedy and safe disposal of carcases and slurry and the valuation of stock. Our contingency plans are designed to take account of such factors. The action would of course depend upon the circumstances but infected area controls, which are enforced around all outbreaks, are specifically designed to prevent the spread of disease.

The Earl of Shannon

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. May I ask, further, for an assurance that the Minister's department fully appreciates the fact that it is now known that only one infected pig can generate 10 to the power of eight infected viruses in only 24 hours? If there are, as I know there to be, at least three, if not more, intensive pig units of over 10,000 pigs in each unit in the south of England, should one or more of those units become infected it would, with our prevailing south-westerly winds, spread a wind-borne plume of infection over most of the country and put pretty-well the whole of the hoofed population of this country at risk.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I understand the noble Earl's concern. We keep records of the large livestock units on a computer and also records of where slaughter houses are sited so that we know where they are and can give advice whenever necessary. Advice has already been given to owners of large livestock units on precautions to prevent the introduction and spread of disease.

Lord John-Mackie

My Lords, without doubting the noble Lord's calculations, am I right that in the nasty outbreak of foot and mouth in 1967–68 the spread was among small units? I cannot see that the size of the unit makes any difference to the spread of disease.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I am glad the noble Lord, Lord John-Mackie, asked that question because I join with him in being to some extent perplexed by the thrust of that supplementary question from the noble Earl, Lord Shannon, in the sense that in a large livestock unit the space devoted to each particular animal is not likely to be any less than the space in a smaller livestock unit. None the less, I recognise the general thrust of the noble Earl's original Question, in that if there is an outbreak of disease the difficulties of clearing up after such an outbreak in a large unit are, of course, very great indeed.

Lord Paget of Northampton

My Lords, speaking from memory, but quite a long memory and not one which is wholly concerned with agriculture on this subject, but an intense interest as to where and when foot and mouth outbreaks occur, am I wrong in remembering that they almost always occur on small farms?

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I cannot answer that. I shall look at the records and write to the noble Lord.

Viscount Hanworth

My Lords, is it not a fact that the spread of disease requires, with one or two exceptions, a substantial number of bacilli before infection occurs? Therefore, if it is wind-borne and it comes from a very large herd, is there not a greater chance of infecting others than if it comes from a small number of pigs and where again the bacilli is distributed by the wind? It is therefore less effective.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, with respect to the noble Viscount, I very much doubt whether that is the case. As I understand it, so far as foot and mouth is concerned, in the event of the tragedy of an outbreak the direction of the wind and the currents of the air are the absolutely crucial factors.