§ Mr. Garrettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make a further statement on last year's epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease in Northumberland.
§ Mr. PeartYes. I have today placed in the Library a full history of the diagnosis by my veterinary staff of the initial outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease which occurred in the Rothbury area of Northumberland in July, 1966.
The procedures followed in the slaughter of farm livestock during the epidemic will be the subject of another full statement which I shall make available to the House at an early date.
I shall make a third statement as soon as I have received and considered the report of Professor J. W. Howie and Sir William Weipers on the problems referred to in my Reply to my hon. Friend on 27th January, namely those arising from the rare occurrence of a case of suspected foot-and-mouth disease in a human being.—[Vol. 739, c. 375–6.]
§ Viscount Lambtonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he 174W will publish a White Paper on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease last summer in the Rothbury area, including as appendices reports received by his department on the outbreak from the headquarters and the Northumberland branch of the National Farmers' Union.
§ Mr. PeartI would refer the hon. Member to the Reply which I have given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Wallsend (Mr. Garrett).
As regards the report which is understood to have been made by the Northumberland Branch of the N.F.U. to the Union Headquarters, I would refer the hon. Member to the Reply which I gave him on the 30th January.—[Vol. 740, c. 21.]