§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the number of imported wild-caught birds which were dead on arrival and which were subsequently submitted to the veterinary investigations centre for analysis to ascertain the cause of death from fowl pest, salmonella or psittacosis for each year since 1987.
§ Mr. MacleanData on the number of carcases of imported captive birds submitted to veterinary investigation centres for examination are set out in my reply of 26 June to the hon. Member for Glandford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley),Official Report, column 497. Such data do not, however, distinguish between wild-caught and captive-bred birds, nor do they differentiate between birds dying in transit or in quarantine.
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the number of different species of imported wild-caught birds which were confirmed as having died from fowl pest, salmonella or psittacosis in 1989.
§ Mr. MacleanInformation about the numbers of species of imported captive birds dying of specific causes is not collected in the precise form requested. Available data indicate that in 1989 at least 47 different species of imported birds were associated with salmonella infection, 11 species with Chlamydia psittaci infection, and at least 18 species died or were slaughtered as a result of fowl pest. It is not possible to differentiate between wild-caught and captive-bred birds.