§ Mr. David Clarkasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many outbreaks of swine vesicular disease there have been; how many pigs have been slaughtered; and if he will make a statement on the progress of his policy to tackle this disease.
§ Mrs. FennerFrom 1lth December 1972 to 5th April 1973 there have been 87 outbreaks of swine vesicular disease, resulting in the slaughter of 42,505 pigs.
Progress in eradicating the disease is satisfactory. In those parts of the country which were most affected there have been no outbreaks in the West Midlands and Yorkshire since 10th March, and in the south-western counties, apart from one case of recrudescence on 25th March, there have been none since 25th February. There have been no further outbreaks in Scotland since 21st March.
I am disturbed, however, that there should have been the two cases confirmed on 1st and 3rd April in Surrey. The disease again is in swill-fed pigs and was most probably introduced by feeding inadequately processed swill, in spite of all the publicity we have given over the last three months to the care needed in handling this material. Because of the
204Wwere the imports and exports of potatoes in the first three months of 1973; and what were the comparable figures for 1970, 1971 and 1972, respectively.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe official Customs figures for March 1973 are not yet available. The following table gives information for January and February in each year referred to, and, separately, the figures for March for 1970, 1971, and 1972:
dangers associated with feeding swill, an order has been made, and will come into operation on 19th April, prohibiting the sale of swill-fed pigs through livestock markets, and the present Diseases of Animals (Waste Foods) Order 1957 will shortly be substantially revised.