§ Mr. HASLAMasked the Minister of Agriculture if, in cases of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease where it could be shown that special loss would fall on farmers by reason of the stand-still order, he will consider reducing the area to one of five miles radius earlier than normally would be the case by taking special precautions?
Mr. GUINNESSThe present practice with regard to the declaartion of infected areas when an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is confirmed is to schedule an area having a radius of approximately 15 miles from the infected premises. This is maintained for a period of 14 days from the date of the outbreak when, in the absence of the spread of infection from the initial centre, it is reduced to five miles. The period of 14 days is fixed in relation to the period of incubation of foot-and-mouth disease to allow of the development of any latent case of infection which may exist in the area unknown to the Ministry at the time of the initial outbreak and could not safely be reduced. This procedure has the approval of the Departmental Committee on Foot-and-Mouth Disease which reported in 1925.