HC Deb 19 January 1976 vol 903 cc338-40W
Mr. Hardy

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his plans for the extension of the brucellosis eradication programme in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Strang

On 30th December, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was able to announce further areas in which the compulsory eradication of brucellosis would commence on 1st November 1976. The Minister also said that urgent discussions would be held with the National Farmers Union and the British Veterinary Association on the remainder of the eradication programme and that a further announcement would be made early in the new year. These discussions have been completed and I can now give farmers in the remaining parts of England and Wales an indication of when their areas will be brought within the scope of compulsory eradication measures.

The following is the programme:

Starting 1st November 1976

  • South Glamorgan and remainder of West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan and Gwent;
  • Salop and Hereford and Worcester west of the A49;
  • The Wrexham-Maelor District of Clwyd;
  • Somerset west of a line from Axbridge to Crewkerne;
  • Kent and adjacent parts of Greater London;
  • East Sussex;
  • Remainder of West Sussex;
  • The New Forest;
  • Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire south of the M40;
  • Lincolnshire;
  • The Rutland District of Leicestershire;
  • Humberside south of the Humber and east of the Trent;
  • Remainder of the Craven District of North Yorkshire;
  • In Lancashire, the Borough of Burnley, the Pendle and Hyndburn Districts and the re mainder of the Ribble Valley Borough.

Starting 1 November 1977

  • Dorset;
  • Durham and Tyne and Wear to the south of the River Tyne;
  • Remainder of Devon;
  • Remainder of Hampshire;
  • Remainder of Lancashire;
  • Remainder of Leicestershire;
  • Remainder of Oxfordshire;
  • Remainder of Salop;
  • In North Yorkshire, the Harrogate district and so much of the Richmondshire and the Hambleton districts as lie to the west of the A1;
  • In Hereford and Worcester, the remainder of the old county of Hereford;
  • The Sefton district of Merseyside;
  • Cheshire to the west of the River Dee;
  • Remainder of Clwyd excluding the part north of the River Dee.

Starting 1 March 1978

Remainder of Somerset.

Starting 1 November 1978

  • Cleveland;
  • Greater Manchester;
  • Northamptonshire;
  • Nottinghamshire;
  • Wiltshire;
  • Remainder of Buckinghamshire;
  • Remainder of Hereford and Worcester;
  • Remainder of Merseyside;
  • Remainder of North Yorkshire;
  • The Boothferry district of Humberside;
  • Gloucestershire north of a line from South Cerney to Gloucester and including the Forest of Dean.

Starting 1 November 1979

  • Avon;
  • Derbyshire;
  • Warwickshire;
  • West Midlands;
  • West Yorkshire;
  • Remainder of Gloucestershire;
  • Remainder of Humberside;
  • The eastern part of Cornwall.

Starting 1 November 1980

  • Northumberland;
  • South Yorkshire;
  • Staffordshire;
  • Remainder of Cheshire;
  • Remainder of Cornwall;
  • Remainder of Tyne and Wear;
  • Remainder of Clwyd.

The decision to extend compulsory powers to the areas listed above for eradication to commence in 1976 and 1977 is firm; we propose to make the necessary order for the 1976 areas in a few days' time, and that for the 1977 areas in the coming Spring. The remainder of the list must still be regarded as tentative at this stage, and the possibility of later adjustment, either forward or backward, cannot be ruled out: progress of the brucellosis eradication campaign must continue to be subject to any demands on staff caused by possible future outbreaks of exotic disease, which will have to be given priority.

Free 45/20 Vaccination Scheme

A free 45/20 vaccination scheme has been introduced in the counties of Cheshire (and an adjacent part of Clwyd), Staffordshire, Northumberland (and an adjacent part of Tyne and Wear) in order to reduce the level of infection in those counties and make it feasible for compulsory measures to be introduced in them in 1980. Following the dis- cussions with the NFU and BVA, we have agreed that as from 1st March 1976 farmers with actively infected herds in the other areas scheduled for compulsory eradication to begin in 1979 and 1980 may also apply for free vaccination under these arrangements. I must, however, emphasise that the use of 45/20 vaccine in adult cattle is being advocated by the Ministry as an extension of and not a departure from existing policy on brucellosis vaccination. It remains our policy to encourage the use of S.19 vaccine in female calves as a means of conferring early and lasting protection against the disease.

Incentive-expired Herds

Members of the Brucellosis Incentive Scheme whose herds became accredited on or before 1st April 1971 will cease to be eligible for incentive payments after 31st March next. Those who became accredited on later dates will similarly cease to qualify for incentive payments once a period of five years since the date of accreditation has passed. All such herd-owners who remain in the voluntary Scheme will continue to have their cattle tested free of charge and will qualify for compensation at the rate of 75 per cent. of accredited market value for all reactors revealed, subject to whatever maximum payment is in force. I believe that these terms will offer the herd-owners concerned whose farms are not yet within eradication areas sufficient encouragement to remain accredited within the voluntary Scheme. I would nevertheless urge them to take out insurance against the losses that they themselves would have to bear should reactors occur in their herds.

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