§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reported cases of foot and mouth disease there have been in the UK in each of the last five years. [84760]
§ Mr. RookerThere have been no cases of foot and mouth disease in the UK in the last five years. The number of suspected cases of foot and mouth disease in farm livestock investigated in each of the last five years is as follows:
Year Number of suspected cases 1994 26 1995 18 1996 13 1997 12 1998 8 1999 (to date) Nil Total 77 On each occasion the possibility of foot and mouth disease was ruled out.