HC Deb 16 May 2002 vol 385 c811W
11. Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy on compensation to those indirectly affected by the foot and mouth disease epidemic in 2001. [55124]

Margaret Beckett

There is no statutory provision for such compensation nor can the Government be the insurer of last resort. The Government did of course help rural business and communities through a series of support measures to aid recovery from the impact of FMD.

Mr. Peter Ainsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many overnight stays were undertaken by her officials working on the foot and mouth epidemic. [54339]

Margaret Beckett

[holding answer 7 May 2002]: The information requested is not readily available and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley), on 29 April 2002, Official Report, column 552W, which gave details of the total amount of overnight subsistence for staff working on the foot and mouth crisis.