§ Mr. JoplingTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce a compulsory slaughter scheme for deer suffering from tuberculosis.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonOnly a few herds are believed to be infected with tuberculosis, but in the interests of preventing it becoming established the Government have decided to introduce a compulsory slaughter scheme where this is necessary to control disease in deer kept in farms or parks. Compensation will be paid at 50 per cent. of the value of the slaughtered animal, subject to a ceiling. The necessary order under the Animal Health Act 1981 will be introduced as soon as possible. This measure, together with the steps already announced to make tuberculosis in deer a notifiable disease and to introduce movement controls and marking requirements, represent a major initiative by the Government to deal with the disease. I now hope that rapid progress can be made in devising a deer health scheme in co-operation with the industry.