§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he remains satisfied with the measures now in operation to control the incidence and to limit the spread of outbreaks of Aujeszky's disease in pigs; if he is satisfied that these will lead to the eradication of the disease; and what contribution he believes vaccines can make.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Government's policy on this disease was described in my statement of June last year.—[Vol. 987, c. 112–14.] As this made clear, I had concluded that an eradication policy with compensation payable at Government expense would not be justified.
Discussions have recently taken place with representative organisations of the industry, within this policy framework, on the means by which further control of the disease might be achieved. We are now developing proposals based upon continuance of the preventive measures already taken under guidance from the veterinary service. Consideration is also being given to arrangements which would control the movement of pigs from herds infected with clinical symptoms of the disease. We do not envisage the use of vaccine in present circumstances.