HC Deb 05 May 1955 vol 540 cc153-4W
Sir A. Bossom

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give consideration to dispensing at an early date with the clean area policy for poultry disease control, in favour of an emergency policy on the lines followed in cases of foot-and-mouth disease.

Mr. Amory

Mainly because of the constant and widespread traffic in poultry, fowl pest cannot be dealt with successfully on the lines of foot-and-mouth disease, save where an outbreak appears to be purely local in character. The clean area policy, which has the support of the poultry industry generally, has contributed very greatly to the reduction in the incidence of disease, and I am satisfied that it should be retained until after next winter, so as to include the period when movements of poultry are at their peak.