HC Deb 20 March 1997 vol 292 cc731-2W
Dr. Strang

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what(a) financial and (b) other assistance is available to farm businesses whose supply of point of lay pullets is halted by measures taken to contain Newcastle disease. [21145]

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The Animal Health Act 1981 makes no provision for the payment of consequential losses following an outbreak of a notifiable disease, including Newcastle disease and so such payments are made.

Directive 92/66/EEC, as implemented in Great Britain by the Diseases of Poultry Order 1994 (as amended) requires that controls on the movement of poultry are imposed in an area surrounding each confirmed outbreak of Newcastle disease. Every effort is made to limit disruption to the poultry industry consequent upon the imposition of these controls subject to the overriding need to contain the spread of disease.