Mr. AndrewStewart asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has considered further measures to avoid risk of rhizomania disease.
§ Mr. JoplingYes. I have considered carefully the need for additional arrangements to minimise the risk of rhizomania disease reaching our beet crops through soil imported with potatoes and other vegetables for processing. I am pleased to announce that consultations with the interests concerned will now take place with a view to introducing statutory controls relating to land on which solid or liquid waste from the processing of imported potatoes and other vegetables may be discharged. The consultations will also explore the possibility of reducing the 2 per cent. soil tolerance allowed on imports of potatoes. These additional controls would supplement the range of measures we have already introduced to avoid the risk of rhizomania disease becoming established here.