§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate has been made of the loss to agricultural production in Mid-Wales and the border counties through the failure to find adequate means of dealing with the Warfarin-resistant rats in the past five years.
§ Mr. MackieNo estimate has been made, and it would be difficult to make one. But surveys have shown that the numbers of rats on farms inside the warfarin-resistance area are now lower than those on other farms immediately outside it. This, doubtless, reflects to a large extent the intensive efforts made by the Ministry to prevent the outward spread of resistant rats and to persuade occupiers within the area to destroy rats on their land.
§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present area of Mid-Wales and the border counties infested by rats known to be Warfarin-resistant; and how this area has extended over the past five years.
§ Mr. MackieIt is impossible to say with precision but the area is probably about 1,200 square miles. This is approximately three times the area believed to be affected five years ago.