Foot and Mouth (Hansard, 3 May 2001)

§ Mr. Derek Foster
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards eradicating foot and mouth disease; and if he will make a statement. [160584]
737W

§ Mr. Nick Brown
I am placing in the Libraries of the House today the latest graphs produced for the Chief Scientific Adviser's Group on the course of the disease. These demonstrate that in the seven day period ending Wednesday 2 May there was an average of approximately eight new confirmed cases each day compared with 16 in the seven day period ending 22 April and with a weekly average of 43 at the peak in late March. We can therefore be optimistic about the future course of the disease, although the Chief Scientific Adviser has warned that cases will continue to occur for some time yet.
It is clear that our policy to bear down on the outbreak swiftly and prevent spread of the disease through slaughtering of animals in infected premises within 24 hours of the case being reported, tracing dangerous contacts and tackling the disease on contiguous premises within 48 hours, has been effective. This has been crucial to the control of the epidemic.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the cause of the foot and mouth disease outbreak. [160407]

§ Mr. Nick Brown
Investigations into the cause of the outbreak continue. I will inform the House of the outcome as soon as I can.

§ Mr. Key
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will allow livestock markets to open as collection centres for slaughter stock. [156003]

§ Ms Quin
[holding answer 29 March 2001]: We have consulted on the conditions under which collecting centres should be licensed and will issue guidance in the light of veterinary advice.

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions have taken place with the Environment Agency at(a) national and (b) local level in respect of the merits of (i) burying and (ii) incineration of animal carcases arising from the slaughter of animals due to foot and mouth disease. [156374]

§ Ms Quin
The Ministry, National Assembly for Wales and the Environment Agency have agreed joint working arrangements and principles for disposal activities associated with foot and mouth disease. Ministry officials have held, and continue to hold, discussions with representatives of the Environment Agency and other Government Departments. These have included discussions on the merits of different options for the disposal of animal carcases.
At a local level the Ministry, (including the Divisional Veterinary Manager) Environment Agency, health authority, environmental health departments of local authorities and others are involved in assessing risk to human health and the environment and the options for disposal, taking account of the location, type and quantity of material for disposal.
Following a Risk Assessment, carried out by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC), the Government decided to provide the option of burial for cattle born after 1 August 1996, as these younger cattle were born after animal feed controls were fully enforced and therefore pose the lowest risk of BSE infectivity of any cattle in the national herd. Older cattle will continue to be burnt or rendered.
738W
The Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright has also been involved in advising MAFF on the disposal of carcases, and the assessment of the level of risk.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his oral statement of 27 March 2001,Official Report, column 843, on foot and mouth disease, what reasons underlay the decision not to consider the use of napalm as a fuel for burning carcases. [156464]

§ Ms Quin
[holding answer 2 April 2001]: There are two forms of napalm available, which both produce very toxic compounds when they burn. We therefore cannot use them because of the public and environmental health risks.
We recognise that burning at higher temperatures is more efficient and cleaner, and so there is a need to increase the temperature of pyres, particularly at the beginning of the burn while the water in carcases is being driven off. We have therefore commissioned urgent studies, in collaboration with MOD, on the possible use of gelled fuel mixtures to increase the temperature.

§ Mr. Duncan
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provision he has made for permitting persons to enter foot and mouth infected areas for the purpose of artificially inseminating dairy cows to avoid the drying-up of milking herds. [156912]

§ Ms Quin
[holding answer 5 April 2001]: Inseminators are now permitted to visit a single premises on any one day for the purpose of artificial insemination, subject to strict hygiene conditions. A farm may not be visited for insemination more frequently than once a week and no semen may be taken off the farm.
Premises under Form A or Form D restrictions or within the 3 km zone around an infected premises, and those within 8 km of a premises subject to Form C restrictions are considered to be high-risk premises and, for disease control purposes, such visits are not permitted for these farms.