§ 60. Mr. Rentonasked the Minister of Agriculture why the Animal Health Division of his Department gave permission for Royal Air Force personnel to take part in exercises which required them to walk over grass fields and farm roads for long distances thereby adding 55W to the risk of spreading foot-and-mouth disease in Huntingdonshire, which is a restricted area.
§ Sir T. DugdaleI presume that my hon. Friend is referring to a recent small-scale exercise held within a radius of 15 miles of Upwood airfield in Huntingdonshire. On the days in question Upwood aerodrome was 25 miles s outside the nearest infected area and 40 miles from the nearest infected farm. My veterinary officers did not consider that in the circumstances there was any appreciable risk of the exercises causing spread of disease.