§ Mr. Peter Walkerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will arrange to meet the cost of disinfectant that is being used on bridges main roads as a means of preventing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to areas not yet infected.
§ Mr. PeartNo. The cost of disinfectant is met when it is used on the instructions of my veterinary officers to eliminate the risk of spread from known infected places.
§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider increasing the valuation of the animals slaughtered in the early days of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, in the 263W light of the fact that valuations have risen as the epidemic has increased in scope and extent, to meet the higher market price for animals when restocking is allowed.
§ Mr. PeartI have noted the hon. and learned Member's suggestion and would refer him to the statement which I made in the debate on the Adjournment on 12th December.
§ Mr. Monroasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make provision for the low prices for fatstock in South-West Scotland, due to the elimination of the traditional markets in Northern England by foot-and-mouth restrictions when calculating the deficiency payment for beef and lamb; and to what extent he plans to provide special help in this matter.
§ Mr. PeartOne of the unfortunate consequences of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has been the disruption of normal channels of trade in several parts of the United Kingdom, leading to a distortion of the pattern of market prices on which the deficiency payments for fat cattle and sheep are based.
>Many farmers suffer consequential losses as a result of the restrictions on movement in outbreaks of this kind and, I am afraid, it is impossible either to assess or to provide for compensation for such losses.
§ Mr. James Davidsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will have the postponed under-23 football international between Scotland and Wales, due to have taken place at Aberdeen on Wednesday, 13th December, further postponed until any risk of spreading foot-and-mouth disease by the influx of Welsh supporters no longer exists; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will, in addition to compensation for animals compulsorily slaughtered as a result of foot-and-mouth disease, take steps to pay a restocking grant to enable farmers who have lost animals to compete for the purchase of animals in a seller's market.
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