§ Mr. Maclennanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the imposition of import restrictions on possible sources of swine fever; what recent discussions he has had with other European Community countries to seek to improve the effectiveness of measures designed to combat the disease; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JoplingMeasures for eradicating classical swine fever and rules for preventing its spread by intraCommunity trade in pigs, fresh pigmeat and pigmeat products are the subject of Community directives. Representations have been made to me that I should take national action to restrict imports of certain pigmeat products. However, although the source of all hut the most recent outbreak has been linked directly or indirectly to the feeding to pigs of imported pigmeat products, it is impossible to say from which country the infected imports came. In present circumstances I am advised that we would not be justified in making use of the relevant safeguard clause to impose additional restrictions and that any attempt to do so would be legally unsound, and would be overruled in Brussels.
I am, however, in touch with the Commissioner for Agriculture in the European Commission to underline the Government's serious concern at the classical swine fever situation which has existed in other member states for a number of years. I am urging on him the need for more stringent measures to be applied in the Community to stamp out disease when it occurs, and for a fresh assessment to be made of the degree of processing required to render pigmeat products safe. Officials are also pursuing these matters in the standing veterinary committee and direct with the member states concerned.