§ Mr. Spenceasked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why Mrs. Pam Cosby, who farms at Southend Farm, Knayton, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was not, and still has not been, officially informed of a suspected case of foot and mouth disease on an adjacent farm, discovered on 29 October; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. FennerIn accordance with well established procedures, information about the suspected case of foot and mouth disease near Thirsk was given, without delay, to a wide variety of organisations concerned at national and local level, including local authorities, police forces and the news media. It is not practicable for the Ministry to notify farmers in the locality individually whenever a suspected case of notifiable disease is reported.