HL Deb 15 February 1996 vol 569 c56WA
Lord Lyell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they propose to change the Statutory Infected Area for Varroa.

Lord Lucas

The autumn varroa searches last year revealed a significant number of cases outside the Statutory Infected Area. Having now considered the views of the national beekeeping organisations, and those of the many local associations and individual beekeepers who have written to my honourable friends the Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Boswell) and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Welsh Office (Mr. Jones), my honourable friends have agreed from 14th February 1996 to extend the boundary of the Statutory Infected Area to include the four English counties of Cheshire, Cleveland. Durham and Merseyside and the whole of Wales.