§ Mr. Rentonasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that Royal Air Force personnel have, in recent weeks, been taking part in exercises which require them to walk over grass fields and farm roads for long distances in areas which are affected by foot-and-mouth disease; and whether he will cause these exercises to be postponed immediately until such time as the risk of spreading the disease has disappeared.
Mr. WardThese exercises were held with the knowledge and consent of the Ministry of Agriculture. They would certainly have been cancelled if foot-and-mouth disease restrictions had been in force in the areas concerned and, indeed, several have been cancelled for this reason during the past few months.