Bats (Rabies) (Hansard, 22 June 1998)

§ Mr. Lepper
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are taken to ensure that all dead and grounded bats are examined for rabies. [46199]

§ Mr. Rooker
Members of the public and volunteer bat enthusiast groups in the UK are encouraged to submit dead bats to Veterinary Investigation Centres to be tested for the presence of rabies and rabies-related viruses.

§ Mr. Lepper
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the status of rabies in bats as a notifiable disease. [46197]

§ Mr. Rooker
Rabies, whether in a bat or in any other mammal, is a notifiable disease in accordance with the Rabies (Control) Order 1974.

§ Mr. Lepper
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many bats have been examined for rabies since June 1996. [46198]

§ Mr. Rooker
Between June 1996 and May 1998, 507 bats were examined for rabies.