§ 52. Sir J. Gilmourasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigations he has made into the possible spreading of foot-and-mouth disease by rats; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John MackieIt is well known that rats, like other wild creatures, can spread foot-and-mouth disease. My veterinary officers therefore look for signs of rats on every farm which is affected by the disease, and arrange for any infestation to be dealt with. The experts now conducting an epidemiological survey of the present series of outbreaks are looking into this factor.
§ 57. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the number of cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the present epidemic, since October, 1967; what are the number of beasts slaughtered to the latest convenient date, and the related cost of compensation for all slaughtered beasts; and how much imported Argentine and other meat has been denied entry into the United Kingdom following the imposition of the temporary imports ban.
§ Mr. John MackieSince 25th October, 1967, there have been 2,308 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease up to 1.00 p.m. today. By midnight last night 204,000 cattle, 98,100 sheep, and 112,800 pigs have been slaughtered. £23,856,000 has already been paid in compensation and it is estimated that a further £1,750,000 is payable.
I cannot say what tonnage traders would otherwise have shipped from countries from which imports are suspended.
§ 58. Sir G. Nabarroasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the annual cost to public funds of special ploughing-up grants at £10 per acre, following foot-and-mouth disease; and what additional cereals and other agricultural output may 108W consequentially be expected in 1968 and 1969 from these special grants.
§ Mr. John MackieMy present estimate is that some 25,000 acres may be ploughed, representing a cost under this special Scheme of some £¼ million. This is not a recurring annual cost. I do not know what acreage, within the total ploughed, farmers will decide to use for particular crops, so I cannot assess what the extra output will be.
§ 59. Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the financial loss to date by farmers in areas affected by foot-and-mouth disease restrictions, other than loss emanating from slaughter of animals.
§ Mr. John MackieI regret that it is impossible to make any precise estimate of such losses. This will no doubt be among the matters which will be considered by the committee of inquiry which is to be set up.
§ 60. Mr. Elystan Morganasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the approximate number of farm workers whose employment is currently affected by the slaughter of animals following foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks.
§ Mr. John MackieCensus returns show that about 4,050 workers were employed last year on holdings where outbreaks have since occurred, but the information which is available does not suggest that many have been laid off. In Cheshire—the county worst affected—the latest Ministry of Labour estimate puts the total at 41.
§ 62. Mr. Hazellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial provisions he has made to enable farmers whose stock has been slaughtered as a consequence of foot-and-mouth disease to enable them to continue to employ their stockmen, until such time as re-stocking is permitted.
§ Mr. John MackieApart from the compensation for stock slaughtered, we have given help by the introduction of the special £10 Ploughing Grant, the encouragement of improvement schemes, the payment of grant on account and the 109W employment of farm workers on the disease operations. But any direct help for consequential losses would entail compensating the many thousands of people both in side and outside the farming industry who have also suffered from the epidemic
§ 63. Mr. Hazellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what fixed rate per hour was agreed for farm workers engaged in clearing up operations following foot-and-mouth disease; whether this rate was uniform throughout the counties affected; and to whom this rate is being paid.
§ Mr. John MackieThe Ministry employs contractors to bury or burn the carcases of animals slaughtered and to disinfect the farm premises after foot-and-mouth disease. When, with the agreement of their employer, farm workers are recruited for this work by the Ministry or the contractor, they are normally paid at the same rate as the contractor's workmen. Different contractors pay their workers different rates. A farmer may elect to retain his workers on his pay-roll and hire them out, in which case he claims reimbursement from the Ministry or contractor, together with an addition to cover his overheads.
§ 65. Sir Knox Cunninghamasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, owing to the importance of the questions involved and the necessity of sifting contrary evidence on many matters, he will take steps to obtain a judge of the High Court to act as the chairman of the committee which will consider all aspects of foot-and-mouth disease, including its prevention and cure by modern methods.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what form of inquiry he will establish to investigate foot-and-mouth disease; and what will be the terms of reference.
§ Mr. John MackieWe propose at the earliest convenient opportunity to set up an independent Committee of Inquiry to review our whole policy and procedures for dealing with foot-and-mouth disease in Great Britain and to advise on changes. We will announce the exact terms of reference and membership as soon as possible, but I am not yet in a position to say more.
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§ Mr. Hazellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take to assist farm workers who were prevented by his Department's officers from carrying on with their employment, because they lived in an area affected by foot-and-mouth disease, and their employment was on farms outside the affected area.
§ Mr. John MackieFarm workers living in an infected area can carry on employment in other areas.
§ Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give clearer guidance to farmers outside the restricted areas on precautions against foot-and-mouth disease, and in particular on the use of disinfectant at farm entrances.
§ Mr. John MackieAll farmers in the country received a copy of the Four Rules for Farmers which my right hon. Friend gave out in a television broadcast on 21st November. These Rules should be followed, particularly near infected areas.
We have already stressed the importance of farm-gate disinfection, particularly in the infected areas.
§ Mr. Monroasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will pay compensation to farmers who have had to accept much lower than average prices for fat cattle and sheep due to foot-and-mouth movement controls.
§ Mr. John MackieNo. There is no evidence that average prices for fat cattle and sheep have fallen because of this. In any case, it is not our policy to pay compensation for conseqential losses due to foot-and-mouth disease controls.
§ Mr. Monroasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will pay compensation for loss of profits to farmers who have lost stock through foot-and-mouth disease.
§ Mr. John MackieNo. Numerous people both inside and outside the livestock industry have suffered serious losses of income or profits as a result of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. The Gowers Committee said that it would be impossible to compensate all of them. Like 111W our predecessors, we have accepted their views and could not justify treating the farmers exceptionally.
§ Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what conclusions he has now reached on the source of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic; and, in particular, whether he estimates that the whole. outbreak originates from one single source of infection or how many.
§ Mr. John MackieI have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) on 18th January.—[Vol. 756, c.676.]
§ Sir J. Gilmourasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary surgeons from Scotland have been employed in fighting the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic; and what proportion this is of the total of the profession in Scotland.
§ Mr. John MackieA total of 105 veterinary surgeons from Scotland including members of my staff stationed therein, have so far been employed in combating this disease. This is about 16 per cent. of the veterinary profession in Scotland.