§ Sir Timothy Kitsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the area of brucellosis eradication; what is the position of the intermediate areas when the full eradication scheme will have been completed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WigginFrom 1 November last, compulsory brucellosis eradication measures have applied to the whole of Great Britain. My right hon. Friends the Minister and the Secretary of State for Wales announced on 11 October 1979 significant extensions to the attested areas in England and Wales. The attested areas, where effectively the disease no longer exists and where some movement controls over cattle are relaxed, comprise the whole of East and South-East England, Cumbria, the northern part of Lancashire, part of the district of Craven in north Yorkshire and the whole of Wales except for a small part of Clwyd. The remainder of England and Wales is included in the eradication areas where compulsory measures are actively being undertaken to eliminate the disease from those herds not already accredited, and strict controls are applied to the movement of cattle and to holding markets. Further attested areas240W will be announced as progress allows. I am glad to say that, by the end of March 1980, 96 per cent. of herds in England and Wales were free of brucellosis.