§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to support livestock markets in England and Wales to ensure that they have a viable future; and if she will provide financial aid and support for livestock markets to assist with the financial costs they are incurring due to additional cleaning and disinfecting measures that are in place. [10497]
§ Mr. MorleyThe question of whether, and if so under what conditions, livestock markets will reopen is kept under review in the light of the developing disease situation.
Livestock markets are commercial operations, and there are no plans to offer them subsidies from the public purse.
§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what long-term plans her Department has for local collection points at livestock markets; what plans she has(a) to help livestock farmers to off-set the costs of having their livestock collected at markets and (b) for assisting markets with the costs they incur in acting as collection points. [10499]
§ Mr. MorleyThe question of whether, and if so under what conditions, livestock markets will reopen is kept under review in the light of the developing disease situation.
There are no plans to offer subsidies (a) to farmers to offset the cost of having livestock collected at markets or (b) to markets to offset costs incurred in acting as collecting points.