§ Mr. John Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the operation of the scheme to eradicate brucellosis, in the light of the latest information; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GodberOf the estimated 165,000 or so herds in Great Britain containing animals which are testable for brucellosis, 77,000—nearly 47 per cent.—are now participating in the voluntary brucellosis schemes. The participation rate in terms of cattle is even higher, with 55 per cent. of all testable animals now in scheme herds.
Apart from Scotland, for which my right hon. Friend has already announced his proposals for eradication in 1974, voluntary scheme progress has been most rapid in Wales. With this in mind, I have decided that compulsory eradication will start in the existing counties of Pembroke, Brecon, Radnor and Anglesey, the remaining parts of Cardigan, Carmarthen, Caernarvon and Montgomery, together with certain adjoining parishes in Denbigh and Glamorgan, in November 1974. In addition, and as a special measure designed to overcome problems relating to common grazings, five parishes in West Glamorgan adjoining the existing eradication area in Carmarthen will become an eradication area on 1st March 1974. Provided satisfactory progress is maintained, it is hoped that the remaining counties in Wales will become subject to compulsory eradication in 1975 or 1976.
In England, eradication has already been scheduled to start in the North-West England Extension Area, in West Sussex and in Norfolk and Suffolk on 1st November of this year. I have now decided that eradication can be extended further in East Anglia, where voluntary scheme progress has also been exceptionally good. Eradication will accordingly start in Huntingdon and the Soke of Peterborough, as well as in 59W Cambridge, the Isle of Ely and Essex in November 1974, with the intention of extending into the adjoining counties of Hertford, Bedford and Lincoln (Holland) in November 1975. On the other hand, it will not be possible to start eradication in Surrey and Berkshire in 1974 and I cannot at this stage make any forecast as to when it will be possible to begin eradication in these counties or in other areas of England. I shall, however, review the situation again in the autumn. I would have liked to proceed with compulsory eradication at a faster rate, but the very success of the incentives scheme has brought with it its own problems in the demands it is making on my veterinary staff, and the additional programme of compulsory eradication that I have outlined is the maximum that we can achieve, having regard to my other responsibilities for animal health matters.
I must, of course, make it clear that the progress of brucellosis eradication must continue to be subject to any demands on staff caused by further outbreaks of epidemic or exotic disease, the fight against which must always be given priority.