§ 22. Mr. Soleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give further details to substantiate the statement about rabies issued by his Department on 21 May quoting Lord Ferrers as stating that "the situation in France has become less stable recently, with a number of cases closer to the Channel coast"; and what steps he is taking, in conjunction with other Departments, to prevent the occurrence of rabies in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WigginI understand that 12 cases of rabies in animals have been confirmed by the French authorities in the Seine maritime area since the autumn of last year, although none of these has been near a Channel port.
The Government's policy continues to be to apply stringent import controls, supplemented by a continuous rabies awareness campaign designed to minimise the risks of spread to this country.