§ Mr. Roderickasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will amend the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme so that, when the proportion of reactors in a herd is about 60 per cent. or over, the whole herd is automatically slaughtered;
(2) what estimate he has made, in connection with the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme, of the proportion of reactors in a herd which would make it more prudent to slaughter the whole herd, as opposed to slaughtering only the reactors.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartA decision on whether or not an individual herd should be killed off will depend on the veterinary assessment of the disease situation in the herd. The proportion of reactors at a single test, though important, is only one of the factors which will be taken into account. It would not be practicable therefore to fix any level at which wholesale slaughtering would become mandatory.