§ 57. Lieut.-Commander Maydonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent developments during the present epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease, taking account of the ever increasing use of artificial insemination or as a result of recent research, led the Government to different conclusions from those of the Departmental Committee on Foot-and-Mouth Disease, 1952–54, Command Paper No. 9214.
§ Mr. John HareThe main policy recommendations of the Gowers Committee were accepted by the Government. They endorsed the measures which have been taken in this country since 1892 to stamp out foot-and-mouth disease whenever it occurs. The Committee also made many detailed recommendations about the arrangements to control the situation following an outbreak of disease. Most of these recommendations have been adopted, but a few were not found to be practicable and some require legislation. There have been no recent developments which have led the Government to conclusions different from those set out in the Committee's Report. I made a very full statement on this subject in the House yesterday.