§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to freeze national insurance and income tax payments for zoos closed due to the foot and mouth outbreak. [154069]
§ Dawn Primarolo[holding answer 16 March 2001]There are currently no such plans, but the Government keep all taxes under review.
In his statement to the House, the Minister for the Environment announced a preliminary package of measures to alleviate the immediate financial hardship of small businesses in rural areas which have been badly hit by the sudden decrease in visitors and other knock-on effects of the foot and mouth outbreak.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the estimated annual cost to the UK economy would be if foot and mouth disease became endemic; [154083]
(2) what estimate he has made of the total cost to the UK economy to date of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. [154081]
§ Mr. Andrew Smith[holding answer 20 March 2001]Government policy is to eradicate foot and mouth disease from the UK. All efforts are being made to achieve this. It is not possible at this stage to make a robust assessment of the economic impact.