§ 122. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture what losses have been suffered to date, in the present epidemic of fowl pest; and if he has made recent inquiries about the effectiveness and cost of preventive inoculation practised in some other countries.
§ Mr. NugentSince 28th November about 67,000 birds and 168,000 hatching eggs have been destroyed; the compensation payable is about £82,000. My Department keeps in close and constant touch with developments abroad. Vaccination is only practised in countries or areas where fowl pest has virtually become endemic. In those circumstances, the use of an appropriate vaccine reduces the losses considerably but my right hon. Friend has no information as to the cost. In this country we are aiming at the complete eradication of the disease, and there is nothing in the experience of other countries to suggest that vaccination would help us at present.