HC Deb 22 January 1957 vol 563 c33W
Mr. Hurd

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the numbers of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered on account of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks and the compensation paid in 1956: and what proportions of the outbreaks were attributed to infection introduced from South America and the European Continent, respectively.

Mr. Amory

10,547 cattle, 13,123 sheep, 4,793 pigs and 42 goats were slaughtered in 1956 on account of foot-and-mouth disease. Compensation amounted to £825,000. The number of primary outbreaks confirmed was 32. Of these, 17 (53 per cent.) were attributed directly or indirectly to frozen or chilled meat from South America and 9 (28 per cent.) to infection brought from European countries, probably by birds. In the other 6 cases the origin was obscure.