§ Sir Anthony Grantasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the extent of the disease rhizomania in Cambridgeshire; what he estimates its effects will be on sugar beet growing land; what steps are being taken by his Department to eradicate the disease; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThere have been no outbreaks of rhizomania in the United Kingdom; the disease causes serious loss of yield and reduction of sugar content in sugar beet. I itemised the steps being taken by my Department to guard against rhizomania in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, North-East (Mr. Freud) on 1 December at columns475–476 and I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made then.