§ Mr. Wattasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider retaining beyond 31st March 1976 the bonus payments made to dairy farmers who joined the voluntary scheme for brucellosis eradication.
§ Mr. William RossI have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I do not consider that there is a case for extending the present period of incentive payments, which covers five years from the date when a dairy or beef herd becomes accredited as brucellosis free. The Brucellosis Incentive Scheme, which provides these payments, was introduced to assist owners to seek and retain voluntary accreditation of their herds ahead of the compulsory eradication programme for their area, and thus make available a reservoir of disease-free breeding cattle to replace those to be slaughtered under the compulsory measures. The scheme has achieved its purpose and has enabled us to concentrate most of our available resources on the large-scale compulsory programme now in hand.
443WAs each herd's incentive period expires the Government will continue to contribute towards the cost of maintaining freedom from this disease. Free veterinary advice and herd testing will continue, and in addition we shall slaughter any reactors disclosed at the tests and pay compensation at 75 per cent. of their market value as accredited cattle, subject to an upper limit.