§ Mr. T. JOHNSTONasked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he is aware that the Regulations forbidding re-stocking of a dairy farm for a period of three months after destruction of stock for foot-and-mouth disease is placing some dairy farmers in a position that they are unable to pay their rents; and what steps does he propose to take to prevent foreclosing by landlords?
§ The SOLICITOR - GENERAL for SCOTLANDI am informed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which is the Central Department for the administration of the Diseases of Animals Acts, that the effect of the Ministry's Regulations is not correctly stated in the question. The Regulations require that the premises on which cattle have been slaughtered owing to foot-and-mouth disease shall be kept under restrictions which prevent the movement of animals on or off the premises for a minimum period of six weeks from the completion of the final disinfection, or two months 565W from the date of completion of slaughter, whichever is the shorter period. This period of isolation may be extended if local circumstances appear to render it necessary. No representations that farmers are unable to pay their rents owing to such restrictions have reached the Ministry or myself. In any event I have no powers which enable me to intervene in any proceedings taken against farmers by their landlords.