§ Mr. Bob Dunnasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken by his Department to increase checks on potato imports in order to locate cases of infection by Colorado beetle; and if he will consider limiting the shipment of potatoes inwards to specified ports where proper checks can be made.
Mr. Peter WaBierThe complement of plant health and seeds inspectors has been increased to allow for an improved level of monitoring of all susceptible imports against the presence of harmful organisms, including the Colorado beetle. We are consulting further with interests concerned on the scope for channelling susceptible imports through fewer landing places.