§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many fish farms have been affected by whirling disease; what are the names of farms and areas affected; how many have cleared the disease from their areas and had the notifiable disease order lifted; how many are still subject to the notifiable disease order; when he anticipates that whirling disease will be eradicated in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;
(2) how many fish farms, and in which areas, have contracted whirling disease, slaughtered stock, disinfected and had a notifiable disease order imposed upon them again.
§ Mr. MacGregorIn the present outbreak of whirling disease, infected area orders have been applied on 62 sites. Details of 54 of these sites then still subject to such orders were given in my reply to the right hon. Member of 6 July 1983.
By 6 July 1983 restrictions had already been lifted from a further six sites which remain free of movement controls:
- Tingrith trout farm, Milton Keynes, Bucks;
- Avington trout hatchery, Iwerne Minster, near Blandford, Dorset;
- Andwell Mill trout farm, Andwell, near Basingstoke, Hampshire;
- Cherry Tree Meadows, Melton, near Woodbridge, Suffolk;
- Nidderdale trout farm, Throstle Nest Farm, near Summerbridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire and Sinnington trout farm, Low Grange, Sinnington, North Yorkshire.
Restrictions relating to whirling disease had also been lifted from two additional sites, but by 6 July 1983 further restrictions had had to be reimposed due to confirmation of the notifiable disease IPN. These sites are as follows:
Since 6 July 1983 restrictions have since been lifted from two sites:
- Humberside fisheries, Balkend Farm, Skerne near Driffield,
- Humberside and Calverton fish farm, Moor Lane, near Calverton, Nottinghamshire.
- Avington trout hatchery, Winterbourne Houghton, near
- Blandford, Dorset Clouds Hill trout farm, Lynchmere, near
- Liphook, Hampshire.
On one of the other 54 sites, Ampney trout farm, Ampney Crucis, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, movement 106W public expenditure net of loan repayments to one of gross public expenditure, since the aid programme is planned in gross terms.
The proportion of bilateral aid allocable by country for recent years on each of the above definitions is as follows:
restrictions were lifted following the slaughter of stock and disinfection of the farm but then had to be reimposed because of the reintroduction of whirling disease.
As I informed the right hon. Member on 6 July 1983 —[Vol. 45, c. 126–27]—I cannot speculate as to when the disease might be eliminated.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will institute an investigation into the costs to fish farmers of eradicating whirling disease.
§ Mr. MacGregorNo. It is for the individuals concerned to take decisions on whether to institute programmes of eradication for whirling disease on their farms.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek information from water authorities to establish when, in cases where he has lifted a notifiable disease order on whirling disease and restrictions on the movements of fry and fish have since been lifted, the water authorities have not immediately complied; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorI shall reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.