§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will set out his proposals and policy objectives in relation to foot-and-mouth disease and swine fever which he wishes to see incorporated
EEC Country Year Foot-and-Mouth Swine Fever Belgium … … … 1973 … … … … … — 91 1974 … … … … … 63 83 1975 (up to 31st July 1975 … … 24 2 Denmark … … … 1973 … … … … … — — 1974 … … … … … — — 1975 (up to 31st October 1975) … … — — France … … … 1973 … … … … … 1 62 1974 … … … … … 89 109 1975 (up to 31st October 1975) … … 2 87 Holland … … … 1973 … … … … … — 891 1974 … … … … … 3 161 1975 (up to 16th November 1975) … 2 36 Irish Republic … … 1973 … … … … … — — 1974 … … … … … — — 1975 (up to 30th November 1975) … — — Italy … … … 1973 … … … … … 13 58 1974 … … … … … 5 10 1975 (up to 15th November 1975) … 25 3 Luxembourg … … 1973 … … … … … — — 1974 … … … … … — — 1975 (up to 30th November 1975) … — — West Germany … … 1973 … … … … … 8 3,923 1974 … … … … … 15 1,226 1975 (up to 31st October 1975) … … 11 189 United Kingdom … … 1973 … … … … … — — 1974 … … … … … — — 1975 (up to 2nd December 1975) … — —
§ Mr. Bryant Godman Irvineasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy as regards improving measures for the disinfection of vehicles entering the United Kingdom from Europe in order to safeguard the health of animals in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to foot-and-mouth disease.
§ Mr. StrangMy right hon. Friend has issued publicity through the Road Haulage Association to remind drivers to return to Great Britain with clean
114Win the EEC common veterinary policy scheduled to commence in 1978.
§ Mr. StrangThe animal health situation in the Community as a whole is to be reviewed before 1978 and with it the derogations secured at the time of our accession. My objective will be to maintain and protect the high standard of animal health in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to the number of cases of foot-and-mouth disease and swine fever, respectively, for each of the EEC countries since the date of United Kingdom accession.
§ Mr. StrangThe figures, as notified by the Governments of the countries concerned, are:
livestock vehicles. He is also considering the possibility of an order under the Diseases of Animals Act 1975 to require the cleansing and disinfection of incoming empty livestock vehicles before they are allowed to leave the port of entry into Britain unless they had been adequately cleansed and disinfected before they left the continent.
§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those animal diseases the incidence of 115W which has to be notified to other EEC countries in conformity with directive or regulation objections, and further indicate the number of outbreaks of these diseases in Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1st January 1973.
§ Mr. StrangEEC directives require Member States to notify each other and the Commission of outbreaks of the followingepizootic diseases—foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpestcattle plague, contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia, classical swine fever, African swine fever, teschen disease—contagious swine paralysis—and swine vesicular disease. Since 1st January 1973 of all these diseases only swine vesicular disease has occurred in Great Britain: there were 369 outbreaks up to 30th November 1975. I understand that none of these diseases has been recorded in Northern Ireland during this time.