§ Mr Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the research concluded at Pirbright on ds RNA indicating to what extent this drug can contain, prevent or eradicate foot-and-mouth disease; and what consequences it will have for the slaughter policy.
§ Mrs. FennerI understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science that experiments at the Animal Virus Research Institute at Pirbright have shown ds RNA to be capable of delaying or preventing the appearance of clinical signs of foot-and-mouth disease. In its present form, however, ds RNA is not a commercial proposition and further research is being carried out. The development of this drug is unlikely to have direct consequences for our slaughter policy.