HC Deb 07 December 1967 vol 755 cc374-6W
Mr. Elystan Morgan

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will appoint a Minister from his Department to co-ordinate efforts made by various bodies to combat foot-and-mouth disease.

Mr. Peart

No. My veterinary service have had most admirable help from a number of other services and organisations and this has been co-ordinated by my senior officers. This help I have on a number of occasions most gratefully acknowledged.

Mr. Farr

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies have been undertaken of the possibility of the transmission of foot-and-mouth infection via field streams and rivers used for the watering of cattle.

Mr. Peart

The present epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease is being fully studied and the possibility of transmission via field streams and rivers is included in this. My veterinary advisers have not so far found any pattern in the spread of the disease which would indicate that the virus carried in streams or rivers has caused an outbreak.

Mr. Farr

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to encourage the cessation of all sporting and social activities in districts affected by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth, until the disease has been brought under control.

Mr. Peart

In my broadcast statement made on 29th November I appealed to the public not to go into infected areas unless their visits were essential and to keep off farmland, if they did so; and I also appealed to all ramblers, climbers, anglers and other sportsmen to follow this rule in or near infected areas.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which are the countries where foot-and-mouth disease is endemic and from which we import meat; what was the value and quantity of imports from each of those countries in each of the past five years; in each year, what proportion these imports were of total meat imports and of total meat supplies; and what was our balance of trade with these countries in each year.

Mr. Peart

In the countries from which imports are temporarily suspended following my statement on 4th December, foot-and-mouth disease is either endemic or occurs sporadically. It is difficult to separate these two categories of suppliers. In the circumstances, without any implication that the disease is regarded as endemic in all the countries concerned, I am giving the requested figures for all these overseas suppliers. The table is of some size and complexity and I am therefore sending it separately to the hon. Member.

Questions about our balance of trade with individual countries, are for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

Mr. John Lee

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide an estimate on the effect, to the latest convenient date, of the current foot-and-mouth epidemic on the balance of payments.

Mr. Peart

In order to provide such an estimate, assumptions would have to be made about the effects of the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic on such matters as the supply of home produced and imported meats, market values, and requirements of imported food; and these effects would have to be distinguished from changes due to entirely different factors. In a situation which is changing almost from day to day, a meaningful estimate cannot be provided.

Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statistical investigation is being carried out into the relationship between rainfall and the persistence and magnitude of foot-and-mouth outbreaks; what level of positive correlation has been established; and if he will consider a precautionary local inoculation programme after abnormally long periods of wet weather.

Mr. Peart

Experts from my Department and the Animal Virus Research Institute at Pirbright are at the moment carrying out an epidemiological survey which includes a meteorological investigation.

I have nothing to add on vaccination to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Farnworth (Mr. Thornton) on 28th November.—[Vol. 755, c. 70–1.]