§ 56. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give for any convenient stated period a detailed list of national disasters for which his Department has been responsible for meeting the financial costs, indicating the respective contributions made by his Department and the local authorities.
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§ Mr. John MackieThe usual definition of a national disaster excludes even quite serious disruptions in any particular industry, including agriculture, where the problems in that industry do not have the same direct and substantial impact on the country as a whole.
On that basis, during the last 10 years there have been no national disasters in respect of which my Department was responsible for meeting any part of the expenditure.