§ Mr. John E. B. Hillasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what decisions have been reached on recommendations Nos. 3, 20, 21, 26, 68 and 168W 76 of the Northumberland Committee Report on Foot and Mouth Disease.
§ Mr. PriorMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have reached the following decisions.
On recommendation No. 3, comprehensive testing of all samples in extreme circumstances could swamp the available laboratory facilities. We have made arrangements for sufficient facilities to be available, in addition to those at the Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, to permit all the testing likely to be needed for effective disease control.
On recommendation No. 20, we accept that it will occasionally be necessary to arrange temporary diversions of traffic, but propose to continue to do this by voluntary co-operation with police authorities as the need arises.
On balance, we have decided not to accept recommendation No. 21, since it is unnecessary for the policeman on gate duty to enter infected premises and it would be undesirable to encourage him—or to seem to encourage him—to do so.
Recommendation No. 26 is accepted and the necessary powers to close parks and zoos are available, although we would hope to continue to rely on voluntary co-operation wherever possible.
On recommendation No. 68, we have concluded that a scheme on the lines proposed by the committee would be unworkable. The arrangements for valuation of animals slaughtered have, however, been improved and it is unlikely that in any future epidemic there will be substantial differences in levels of compensation similar to those experienced in the 1967–68 epidemic. In view of this, and the need to avoid breaching in any way the principle observed by successive Governments and committees of inquiry that there should be no compensation in respect of consequential losses, we do not propose to make any changes in the legislation on this point.
Recommendation No. 76 related to compensation which is treated as a trading receipt for tax purposes. Following the 1967–68 epidemic, the Board of Inland Revenue agreed to an arrangement whereby farmers could exclude any profit attributable to such compensation in computing their taxable profit for the year in which it was received and could spread 169W that profit over the three following years of assessment. The board has indicated that this arrangement will be available in future outbreaks of the disease for all animals compulsorily slaughtered that do not form part of a production herd for which an election for the herd basis has been, or could be, made. This arrangement effectively implements the committee's recommendation.