§ Lord Burtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
If they will introduce a compulsory slaughter scheme for deer suffering from tuberculosis.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)Only a few herds are believed to be infected with tuberculosis. But, in the interests of preventing its becoming established, the Government have decided to introduce a compulsory slaughter scheme where this is necessary to control disease in deer kept in farms or parks. Compensation will be paid at 50 per cent. of the value of the slaughtered animal, subject to a ceiling. The necessary order under the Animal Health Act 1981 will be introduced as soon as possible. This measure, together with the steps already announced to make tuberculosis in deer a notifiable disease and to introduce movement controls and marking requirements, represent a major initiative by the 1691WA Government to deal with the disease. I now hope that rapid progress can be made in devising a deer health scheme in cooperation with the industry.