§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have about the commercial value of lamb liver damaged by the larval stage of the parasite Taenia Hydatigena, and whether they can confirm that the major factor in the transmission of this parasite to lambs is defecation by hunt hounds on sheep pasture, and whether they have taken any steps to alert sheep farmers to this problem.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)No central records are kept of the commercial value of livers damaged by Taenia Hydatigena. The larval stage of this parasite, which does not cause human infection, can be passed from any infected dogs to sheep through190WA ingestion of eggs on pasture contaminated with dogs' faeces. The Ministry has for several years publicised the need to dose all dogs, including hounds, in a rural environment regularly against this and other parasitic infections.