§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have ceased to publish figures for animals "slaughtered out" under the foot and mouth eradication policy; if so, when and why they ceased publication; and whether they will reintroduce the publication of this information. [HL1764]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)Figures for slaughter and disposal are published and updated daily on the MAFF website.
MAFF has not ceased to publish these statistics. However, the scale and spread of the outbreak caused difficulty with the collection and transmission of data from our regional operational centres, which meant that from 4–13 April we had to suspend publication of some of the data on the MAFF website. We have since been able to improve and speed up the collection of foot and mouth disease data and have now progessively resumed publication of key data on slaughter and disposal of animals.
Lord Marlsfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What scientific evidence they have for the statement by Baroness Hayman on 15 March (H.L. Deb., Cols. 1004–1005) that the risk that an unburied corpse of an animal slaughtered after contracting foot and mouth disease can transmit the disease "is minimised to an insignificant level", and [HLI520]
Whether the statement by the Baroness Hayman on 27 March (H.L. Deb., col. 130) that "there is not a major risk of spread of disease from carcasses" of animals slaughtered after contracting foot and mouth disease represents the accepted view of independent scientists, and [HL1522]
When they decided, and on whose advice, that the risk of foot and mouth disease being spread from the unburied carcasses of animals slaughtered after contracting the disease is insignificant. [HLI523]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Government have held the view that carcasses do not pose a major risk of spreading foot and mouth disease from the beginning of the outbreak. They have based this view on advice for the World Reference Laboratory for Foot and Mouth Disease at Pirbright and the Environment Agency. The Government are also advised on disease control strategies by their Chief Veterinary Officer and their expert scientific group. Experimental studies have shown that the release of the foot and mouth disease virus from infected animals is greatly reduced after death. This is why it is so important to identify and slaughter infected animals as quickly as possible.
The risk from carcasses is greatly reduced as a result of the procedures followed after slaughter. Carcasses are sprayed with an approved disinfectant which has been shown to be highly effective in destroying any virus on the outside of the animal. Approximately 24 hours after slaughter, rigor mortis sets in, whereby 157WA lactic acid accumulates and inactivates virus in the muscles. Virus in other internal organs will be inactivated by the processes of decomposition and is, in any case, situated internally. Before burning, the operations team are instructed to spray the pyre with additional disinfectant to reduce any risk of infection spreading at this stage. The virus is then inactivated at temperatures above 50 degrees centigrade. There may be a small thermo-resistant element of the virus which is also destroyed at 70 degrees, but expert opinion is that this is likely to be insignicant in the possible spread of infection from pyres.
§ Lord Inglewoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many outbreaks of foot and mouth disease there have been in Cumbria up to 23 April; and how many holdings have had their stock culled in the same period. [HL1814]
§ Baroness HaymanAs of 19:00 on 23 April there were 616 confirmed cases of foot and mouth disease in Cumbria and slaughter was complete on 592 of these premises on this date. The total number of premises in Cumbria (both infected premises, slaughter on suspicion and dangerous contacts) that had had their stock culled as a result of foot and mouth disease was 1,382.
As of 19:00 on I May there were 658 confirmed cases of foot and mouth disease in Cumbria and slaughter was complete on 655 of these premises on this date. The total number of premises in Cumbria (both infected premises, slaughter on suspicion and dangerous contacts) that had had their stock culled as a result of foot and mouth disease was 1,529.
§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many statements were made to Parliament and by whom during the foot and mouth outbreak in 1967. [HL1898]
§ Baroness HaymanThis information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
§ Lord Willoughby de Brokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the direct cost to 10 April of the current foot and mouth epidemic. [HL1798]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Ministry paid costs of £56.5 million up to, and including 10 April. This figure does not include staff costs such as salary or overtime or some costs incurred in the disposal of carcasses (e.g. off farm haulage, rendering, cost of leasing land). The total cost is likely to be much higher.
§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Hayman on 22 March (WA 177), whether any research has been undertaken into the possibility that the updraught from fires of infected carcasses may spread the foot and mouth virus from unburnt carcasses in the same type. [HL1444]
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Barness HaymanThe Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright has recently produced a report, in collaboration with MAFF and the Meteological Office, on the spread of the foot and mouth disease virus from the burning of animal carcasses on open pyres. This report is to be published in theVeterinary Record shortly.
Six pyres, located in Devon, Exeter and Worcestershire, were monitored. Additional pyres are currently being investigated in Cumbria and Devon. The report concludes that early results indicate that breakdowns due to virus dispersion from pyres are unlikely to occur in general and the pyres analysed to date have shown no evidence that breakdowns due to this cause have occurred.
The Pirbright Institute of Animal Health has informed the Ministry that the virus is inactivated at temperatures above 50 degrees centigrade. There may be a small thermo-resistant element of the virus which is also destroyed at 70 degrees, but expert opinion is that this is likely to be insignificant in the possible spread of infection from pyres.
§ Baroness Coxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there is any truth in the press reports that samples of pathogens related to foot and mouth disease were taken from Porton Down; and, if so, what are the implications of this theft. [HL1779]
§ Baroness HaymanWe believe that the noble Baroness is referring to comments made in a report which appeared in theSunday Express on 8 April alleging that a vial of foot and mouth virus had been stolen from Porton Down.
No foot and mouth viruses have been stolen from either the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research (CAMR) or the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector (CBD) of DERA at Porton Down. In fact, no samples of foot and mouth virus have been held at CAMR or CBD Porton Down.
§ Lord Hoyleasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was their response to the offer by the Cuban government to supply veterinary assistance in relation to the foot and mouth outbreak. [HL1972]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Chief Veterinary Officer has responded positively to the offer in a letter to His Excellency the Ambassador for Cuba on 27 April.
§ Lord Rees-Moggasked her Majesty's Government:
Whether delays in culling healthy sheep are causing animal welfare problems, in particular to lambing ewes and their lambs. [HL1630]
§ Baroness HaymanWe are continuing to support and encourage farmers in maintaining animal welfare standards in the face of our movement controls, necessarily imposed to control foot and mouth disease. We have produced advice on how welfare problems can be relieved through changes to management practices on farms; put in place a helpline providing welfare advice; established a system for licensing movements on welfare grounds; and introduced 159WA licensed movement to slaughter for marketing of animals in Infected Areas—an important new option for animals at risk of poor welfare. If these options cannot solve the problem, the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme provides a last resort: priority is being given to the most urgent welfare cases, and a team of vets supported by ADAS technicians and RSPCA experts is assessing applications according to welfare need. Welfare problems arising in lambing ewes and their lambs are considered as part of this process.
§ Lord Palmerasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many animals, culled on suspicion of having been infected by foot and mouth disease, have turned out not to have been infected. [HL2049]
§ Baroness HaymanThe number of infected premises with an eventual negative result, and the animals slaughtered on them, as at 3 May 2001 was as follows:
Area Number of infected premises with eventual negative result Total Number of animals slaughtered England 222 160,956 Cumbria 55 36,840 Devon 40 24,146
§ Lord Rotherwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any wild deer have been found with foot and mouth symptoms. [HL1827]
§ Baroness HaymanAll samples submitted to Pirbright from deer have so far (up to 4 May) been negative for evidence of FMD virus, antigen or antibodies.
§ Lord Rotherwickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any deer have been confirmed to have had foot and mouth. [HL1828]
§ Baroness HaymanA number of deer have been tested for foot and mouth disease, all with negative results.
§ Earl Peelasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publicise definitive guidance on compensation and insurance rights for those who offer their animals for culling to create a "fire-break". [HL1737]
§ Baroness HaymanCompensation for animals slaughtered to create a "fire-break" is payable in accordance with the Animal Health Act 1981. Where animals are affected with foot and mouth disease, the compensation is the value of the animals immediately before they became so affected. In every other case the compensation is the value of the animals immediately before they were slaughtered.
Insurance arrangements are a commercial matter for the owners of animals.
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§ Earl Peelasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will arrange advance cash payments to farmers and others entitled to government compensation as a result of foot and mouth disease. [HL1738]
§ Baroness HaymanAll farmers are paid compensation for any animals slaughtered as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak. Stock is valued immediately prior to slaughter and the Ministry's target is to process and pay all compensation claims within three weeks of slaughter. The Ministry is putting in further resources to help meet this target. However, we are aware that in some areas, such as Cumbria where a particularly large number of claims have had to be made, this target is not being met. This is a problem that is currently being addressed and the Ministry is doing all it can to process all claims as quickly as possible.
§ Earl Peelasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether compensation will be paid on a herd book basis where no tax is due. [HL1739]
§ Baroness HaymanCompensation for animals slaughtered to control foot and mouth disease is payable in accordance with the Animal Health Act 1981. Where animals are affected with foot and mouth disease, the compensation is the value of the animals immediately before they became so affected. In every other case the compensation is the value of the animals immediately before they were slaughtered.
The value of animals is determined by reference to standard values or independent valuation. This is not affected by the tax position of an individual farmer.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is possible for zoo animals to be vaccinated against foot and mouth disease without affecting the foot and mouth disease-free status of the United Kingdom's commercial farm stock [HL1531]
§ Baroness HaymanThe European Commission has agreed that each member state may resort to emergency vaccination of susceptible species in zoos with endangered species listed on the red list laid down by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The vaccination of any susceptible animal, even where limited to special categories of animals not primarily concerned with trade, would usually affect an EU member state's foot and mouth disease status. This leaves unresolved the question of the UK regaining foot and mouth disease free status if the Government decide to proceed with the vaccination of particular categories of animals.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the "time lag" for the results of blood tests taken from animals caught up in foot and mouth outbreak week-by-week since these tests started. [HL1977]
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§ Baroness HaymanInformation regarding the time taken to obtain blood test results is not available on a week-by-week basis. The Ministry's policy now is, when appropriate, to slaughter animals on suspicion of foot and mouth disease, or to diagnose the disease clinically, without waiting for the results of a blood test before slaughter.
We recognise there may have been some initial problems with the speed of results in the very early stages of the outbreak. These problems have been addressed and positive foot and mouth disease test results take half a day to obtain. It may take the laboratory 96 hours or more to confirm that the samples are free from foot and mouth disease.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied with the relevant tests on animals involved in the foot and mouth outbreak and in particular the tests carried out on deer. [HL1978]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Government are satisfied that appropriate testing is being carried out, including tests on deer.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether an individual has been appointed to establish the primary cause of the foot and mouth outbreak; and what progress has been made to date; and [HL1865]
What guidelines have been set for the research into establishing the cause of the foot and mouth outbreak; and whether a target timescale has been set for the conclusion of the research. [HL1866]
§ Baroness HaymanAs part of its investigations into the epidemiology of the current foot and mouth disease outbreak, the Ministry is considering the possible origins. Investigations are under way and no comment can be made at this time.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether animals slaughtered as part of a contiguous cull in a foot and mouth outbreak are routinely tested for the disease being present in that stock; and, if so, and the contiguous herd is found to prove positive, whether that farm is added to those recorded as having the infection. [HL1868]
§ Baroness HaymanAnimals slaughtered as part of a contiguous cull may be examined at slaughter. Where there are obvious clinical signs of foot and mouth disease the premises is treated as a confirmed case. In other cases, where there is only suspicion of foot and mouth disease at slaughter, samples may be submitted to the laboratory and disease confirmed on laboratory results. In both cases, the premises are added to the list of infected premises.
§ Lord Lukeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will supply details of each of the numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs and goats respectively 162WA slaughtered and waiting for slaughter since the commencement of the foot and mouth epidemic. [HL1773]
§ Baroness HaymanThe following table shows figures of total animals slaughtered by type since the start of the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak as of 19:00 on 1 May.
Total animals (000s) to date: 1 May 2001 Total Cattle Sheep Pigs Goats etc. Slaughtered 2,382 415 1,855 110 2 Awaiting slaughter 118 24 91 3 0 Total figures for slaughter and disposal are available and updated daily on the MAFF website.
§ Lord Lukeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Burnside Farm at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, was inspected by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food veterinarians on 22 December 2000 and 25 January 2001; and whether they will publish any report by those veterinarians to the Ministry concerning animal welfare and farming practices on that farm. [HL2005]
§ Baroness HaymanThese matters are under investigation and it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions they checked the animal movement records of K Feakin and W Cleave between 1 January 2000 and 15 March 2001. [HL1457]
§ Baroness HaymanThese matters are under enquiry. It would therefore not be appropriate for me to comment at this stage.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the foot and mouth disease virus can survive in smoke emitted from burning carcasses; if so, for how long it survives in the smoke; and whether there is any risk of infection from hay or other fodder crops over which smoke has blown. [HL1678]
§ Baroness HaymanExpert opinion is that there is little risk of spreading foot and mouth infection via smoke from burning carcasses as outlined in the Answer given to Lord Swinfen on 22 March,Official Report, column WA 177.
Regarding hay and fodder crops, the foot and mouth virus will survive for only relatively short periods of time on pasture. The time taken for the virus to be inactivated is dependent on temperature and humidity; higher temperatures and dryness reducing survival times. In addition, the oral infectious dose is high compared with that which will cause infection 163WA when inhaled, so that any risks are judged to be minimal.
§ The Earl of Caithnessasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Army was not brought in earlier to help tackle the foot and mouth outbreak. [HL1684]
§ Baroness HaymanAt each stage of the current outbreak we have called on the appropriate resources. As the disease grew, so did our response. We were in touch with the Ministry of Defence on 20 February, to alert them that there had been an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Essex, and that military assistance might be required. This led to the first active deployment of troops on the ground on 16 March following a formal request by MAFF for MoD assistance on 14 March.
§ The Earl of Caithnessasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the risks to animal and human health from the smell arising from the mass burial pits for animals slaughtered on account of foot and mouth. [HL1685]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Ministry is not aware of any risks to animal health arising from smells from burial pits. Humans may react to odour in a variety of ways, and some may experience nausea or feel unwell, but these reactions tend to pass quickly once the odour has dissipated. Medical advice is that serious health problems should not be expected.
§ The Earl of Caithnessasked Her Majesty's Government:
What compensation is paid to farmers who have crops in store but cannot sell them because of restrictions imposed due to foot and mouth. [HL1701]
§ Baroness HaymanCompensation is payable for the market value of animals slaughtered to control foot and mouth disease. It is not payable for consequential losses caused by foot and mouth controls. There are no plans to make such payments in response to the current outbreak, but the situation will be kept under review.