Equine and Bovine Tests

HC Deb 06 July 1993 vol 228 cc110-1W

Dr. Strang

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action her Department is taking to ensure that the Czech and Polish authorities meet the costs before 1 August of the owners and farmers who have suffered as a consequence of the import of animals testing sero-positive to equine viral arteritis and foot and mouth disease.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

My officials have met representatives of the Czech and Polish veterinary authorities on a number of occasions and there have also been exchanges of correspondence between them in respect of the importation of foot and mouth disease—FMD—seropositive animals from the Czech republic and from Poland.

The Czech authorities accept that the animals concerned must have been vaccinated against FMD and have agreed to accept the return of any of the affected animals. My officials have made clear to the Czech authorities on a number of occasions our view that they should ensure a fair and satisfactory outcome to the problem.

With the help of the Polish authorities, my officials are continuing to investigate how cattle vaccinated against FMD came to be exported from Poland with certification claiming that the animals had never been vaccinated.

It cannot be concluded from the evidence available so far that the stallion imported last September from Poland is necessarily the primary source of the current outbreak of equine viral arteritis. Nevertheless, my officials have now written to the Polish veterinary authorities informing them of the possible link with the imported stallion and seeking information about the disease status of the stud of origin in Poland at the time the stallion was imported.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the same veterinary certification procedures have been applicable to farmed livestock originating from Poland as for horses.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The certification procedures are basically the same, with official certification being required for horses and farmed livestock imported from third countries. However, the detailed animal health conditions applicable to such imports are different.