§ Mr. de Freitasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the approximate annual expenditure over the last ten years for research into animal diseases, other than foot and mouth; and, over this same period, what is the approximate annual loss from such diseases.
§ Mr. SoamesExcluding capital costs, Government expenditure on research into diseases of farm animals, other than foot and mouth disease, has averaged108W about £700,000 annually over the past ten years; the current annual rate of expenditure is over £1 million. There is also considerable expenditure by private organisations. Estimates of losses from all animal diseases in this country, which are necessarily based largely on conjecture, have ranged from £80 million to £150 million annually.