§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the outbreak of sheep scab in the county of Devon;
(2) what further steps he will take to control the outbreak of sheep scab in the county of Devon.
§ Mr. WigginA total of 56 outbreaks of sheep scab, virtually all in the South-West, have been confirmed during the current season: 37 have been in Devon. Restrictions on the movement of sheep from Devon and Cornwall and to markets in those areas, designed to localise the spread of infection, have been imposed since early February. This action has proved effective in containing the infection.
To eliminate the disease, flock owners must adhere strictly to the proven dipping procedures. The Ministry will continue to work closely with the responsible local authorities in the supervision of dipping diseased and suspect flocks and 40W continue to impress upon them the need to ensure that the law is rigorously enforced.