Foot and Mouth (Hansard, 26 March 2001)

§ Mr. Duncan Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list units in the armed forces on standby, as a result of a request from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to deal with foot and mouth. [155599]

§ Mr. Spellar
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberavon (Sir J. Morris) on 23 March 2001,Official Report, columns 365–66W. In addition, at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Joint Headquarters have been established at MAFF HQ in London and at MAFF regional offices. The role of these Headquarters is to co-ordinate logistic and other support to MAFF, drawn from appropriate civil and military resources. The Ministry of Defence is playing an 524W important role in these Headquarters. Teams of armed forces personnel are also helping to co-ordinate the administration of slaughter, and the transport and disposal of carcases in affected areas. Other forces are on standby in case gaps are revealed. The armed forces contribution to the operation is being directed by Land Command under Commander in Chief Land.

§ Mr. Key
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel, from which units, are assisting the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with the foot and mouth outbreak; where they are deployed and in what numbers; and if he will make a statement on their role. [155163]

§ Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 23 March 2001]I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberavon (Sir J. Morris) on 23 March 2001,Official Report, columns 365–66W.

§ Mr. Peter Ainsworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the meetings and conferences organised by his Department and agencies of his Department which have been(a) cancelled and (b) postponed owing to foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [155367]

§ Mr. Spellar
[holding answer 23 March 2001]The information is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Ruane
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries from which his Department has bought meat in the past year; and which of them have recently experienced endemic foot and mouth disease in their national herd. [155256]

§ Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 23 March 2001]In the past year my Department has bought meat from: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and Uruguay as well as the United Kingdom. Of these only Brazil has recently experienced endemic foot and mouth disease. All meat imported into the UK for human consumption, however, must comply with Community import rules. These permit the importation of meat from some countries where foot and mouth is present but only where the veterinary authorities have contained the disease in specific regions. EC rules permit imports only from those regions where there is considered not to be a risk to human or animal health. These controls currently apply to Brazil and Uruguay.