§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why no sheep which had died from natural causes were monitored for radioactivity in the restricted area of Cumbria after March 1987.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonMy Department's monitoring effort is directed primarily at the protection of the food chain and thus at the monitoring of live sheep leaving the Cumbria restricted area under the "mark and release" scheme. The hon. Member has been informed of arrangements for dealing with sheep which have died of natural causes in my replies of 1 December and 10 December 1987 at columns541–2 and 259 respectively.