HL Deb 01 February 1989 vol 503 cc1166-7

8.10 p.m.

The Earl of Dundee rose to move, That the order laid before the House on 6th January be approved [5th Report from the Joint Committee].

The noble Earl said: My Lords, the Government strategy for protecting the public from the risk of eating sheep meat contaminated by radioactivity from the Chernobyl fallout is well known to your Lordships. That has been done by slaughtering sheep and monitoring the movements of sheep in and from the restricted areas through a series of paint colours used in rotation. I shall therefore, with your Lordships' agreement, limit myself to describing the changes to be brought about by the order.

It consolidates the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) Order 1988 and its amendments into one order for ease of reference. The only alterations made are to remove the movement and slaughter restrictions on sheep painted green and to change from blue to apricot the normal colour with which sheep which have not passed the monitoring test are marked when they move from the restricted areas.

Consequentially, it also provides for slaughter restrictions on sheep painted red, blue or apricot until any sheep so marked has passed a remonitoring test. I commend the order to the House.

Moved, That the order laid before the House on 6th January be approved [5th Report from the Joint Committee].—(The Earl of Dundee.)

Lord Gallacher

My Lords, we thank the noble Earl for explaining as briefly and as succinctly as he has the purpose of the order. We do well to remind ourselves on this occasion of consolidation that the Chernobyl incident is now almost three years old and that we still, as a result, rightly have to engage in protection for the consumer which involves restrictions and limitations, by the use of this wonderful array of colours, on the movement of our sheep.

Will the Minister tell us whether he is satisfied that where exemptions are given observance of them is being monitored, because, bearing in mind some of the wide geographical areas to which the order refers, especially in the case of Scotland, there may be a temptation for movements to take place which should not take place?

Lastly, in view of the time factor which has emerged since the Chernobyl incident, are Her Majesty's Government in contact with the Government of the USSR about compensation for the disaster? We in Britain are eminently entitled and qualified to receive in full measure compensation for an accident which perhaps had to take place. The Soviet Government have a duty to compensate us and other nations which may have suffered similarly.

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for giving his support for the measure. On the question of how well the exemptions have been monitored, I can assure him that a great deal of trouble is being taken to look at all areas, whether or not exempted. I cannot give the noble Lord any information about possible compensation from the USSR. I shall certainly see what the position is and let him know.

On Question, Motion agreed to.