§ 12. Mr. J. Hyndasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the arrangements at the present time under which, despite the fact that foot-and-mouth disease is indigenous to the Argentine, meat is exported from that country to Great Britain under rigid veterinary control; and whether he will consider the possibility of extending similar arrangements so as to permit the importation into this country of meat from France.
§ Mr. NugentThe risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease with meat from the Argentine and other South American countries is reduced as far as possible by special precautions agreed with the exporting countries, including the permanent stationing of two of our veterinary officers in South America. I am sending the hon. Member details.
Because the South American import is such a significant proportion of our total meat supply, the risk involved has to be accepted. There is not the same justification for imports from other sources, which are permitted only where the countries concerned have succeeded in controlling the disease.