§ 94. Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister 0f Agriculture what effect it is estimated that the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease will have upon meat and milk supplies.
§ Mr. NugentMy right hon. and gallant Friend estimates that the amount of meat lost in the past six months by the slaughter of animals is of the order of 2,000 tons or approximately 0.5 per cent. of home output during that period. He cannot give a quantitative estimate of the effect on milk supplies, but it will be slight.
§ Sir R. Glynasked the Minister of Agriculture what counties have suffered outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the years 1938 to 1951, giving in each case the number of animals affected and slaughtered and the cost, and indicating the months of those years when the outbreaks occurred.
§ Sir T. DugdaleAs the reply is lengthy, I will send my hon. Friend a statement, and will place a copy in the Library. A good deal of the information desired is contained in the reports of proceedings under the Diseases of Animals Acts which are published by my Department.
§ Mr. Bakerasked the Minister of Agriculture what special emergency measures are now operating to relieve the congestion in the marketing and disposal of livestock in disease-infected areas.
§ Sir T. DugdaleI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Deedes) on 8th May. No general emergency measures are in operation but special steps are taken, so far as practicable, to meet the particular circumstances of each infected or controlled area.