§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of representations he has received concerning his proposed regulations on sow stalls and tethers; and when he expects these regulations to become effective.
§ Mr. MacleanThose consulted on the draft Welfare of Pigs Regulations 1991 were not warned that their responses might be made public and I do not therefore propose to make them available.
If Parliament approves the proposed regulations this month, they will make it illegal to use new close 603W confinement systems for pigs from 1 October this year and will phase out existing installations of this kind by the end of 1998.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the evidence of blue ear disease among pigs in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. MacleanSymptoms not immediately attributable to any specific disease have occurred on eleven premises in Humberside. Blue-eared pig disease, which has occurred in a number of other Community countries, cannot be ruled out as the cause. Movement restrictions have been imposed on the areas surrounding the holdings concerned and investigations are continuing.