§ Mr. OnslowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions his Department has had with the Irish authorities about precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the salmon disease gyrodactylus salaris.
§ Mr. GummerScientists of my Department and of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are in touch with officials in the Republic of Ireland and I understand there is no evidence of the parasite gyrodactylus salaris in salmon stocks there. The Republic continues to operate very strict health certification and licensing controls in respect of imports of live salmonids and salmonid ova. The prohibition on imports of live salmonid fish into Great Britain, to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend on 16 November at column 431 applies to imports from the Irish Republic as to other countries.