HC Deb 15 October 2001 vol 372 cc1098-118W
Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the official scientific advice on the cause of the Settle/Clitheroe foot and mouth hotspot has been revised since a pattern of spread down the Ribble and Aire river valleys has been established. [268]

Margaret Beckett

[holding answer 25 June 2001]: The Settle/Clitheroe outbreak began in the middle of May. The Department's epidemiologists' initial assessment was that the outbreak was caused by infection established in sheep and/or cattle from the movement of people, vehicles etc. from an infected area. However, further epidemiological investigation of the cases making up this outbreak suggests that infection has been present in the sheep population in the northern part of this cluster for some time. Infection is now believed to have been spread to the area by sheep via untraced sheep from Hawes market, or untraced sheep from Longtown market or via an intermediary market, holding or dealer in which disease was not manifested clinically or in which clinical signs were not observed.

This re-appraisal of the cause of the outbreak has not been influenced by the spread of disease down the Ribble and Aire river valleys. Following the initial introduction of infection, normal, seasonal sheep husbandry activities resulted in infection being transmitted to cattle making infection in the area obvious.

Further spread is thought to have been caused by the movements of people, vehicles and licensed movements of animals.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she proposes to visit(a) the Great Orton site, (b) the Hespin Wood site, (c) Longtown, (d) Wigton, (e) Penrith, (f) Shap, (g) Appleby-in-Westmorland, (h) Kirkby Stephen and (i) Glenridding in Cumbria; and what steps she will take to meet people affected by the foot and mouth disease outbreak; [3439]

  1. (2) how many farms in Cumbria were infected by sheep from Gerwyn Abattoir the start of the foot and mouth outbreak; [3559]
  2. (3) what recent representations she has received from the RSPCA on foot and mouth disease; [3561]
    3. 1099W
  3. (4) when she will publish the complete list of farmers in each county of the UK who had animals killed as a result of foot and mouth, broken down into categories of (a) infected premises, (b) direct contacts, (c) slaughter on suspicion, (d) contiguous cull and (e) voluntary cull, indicating the numbers of (i) cattle, (ii) sheep and (iii) pigs as appropriate; [3446]
  4. (5) how many farmers (a) appealed against their stock valuations within the 14-day period and (b) have notified her Department that they disagree with their valuation but are outside the 14-day period; [3447]
  5. (6) what is her estimate of the number of (a) cattle and (b) sheep disposed of in (i) the Great Orton site and (ii) the Hespin Wood site; [3434]
  6. (7) how many (a) cattle and (b sheep have been brought in from outside Cumbria for disposal at the Great Orton and Hespin Wood sites; [3435]
  7. (8) how many farmers are waiting for compensation for (a) animals slaughtered for reasons connected with foot and mouth disease and (b) work done on the Department's behalf; and what the date of the oldest outstanding claim is. [3432]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what participation United Kingdom officials had in the Office International des Epizooties meeting on foot and mouth disease, held in Paris from 18 to 21 June. [3950]

Mr. Morley

I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what advice her Department gives farmers on how to clean a field that has held infested livestock; [4431]

(2) on what basis premises subject to contingency foot and mouth culling are decided. [4430]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much financial compensation has been paid to farmers as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak at the latest date for which figures are available. [4781]

Mr. Morley

I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Andrew Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what levels of dioxin releases were experienced from the burning of animal carcases during the foot and mouth crisis; and what measures were taken to ameliorate the effects of such releases. [4867]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 18 July 2001]: I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 4 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many animals have been slaughtered in the categories(a) infected premises, (b) direct contacts, (c) contiguous cull, (d) slaughter on suspicion and (e) voluntary cull in each county in England, Wales and Scotland; [794]

  1. (2) what action he has taken to examine and improve enforcement of existing import controls at all points of entry as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak; [2190]
  2. (3) how much compensation has been paid to farmers whose stock has been culled on the grounds of (a) infected premises, (b) contiguous premises, (c) direct contact and (d) the 3km cull policy; [2185]
  3. (4) if she will assess the consequential losses suffered by farmers unaffected by culls who farm in a restricted area; and if she will establish a recovery programme for such farmers; [2183]
  4. (5) what assessment the Government have made of the contamination of water tables as a result of mass livestock burial; [2196]
  5. (6) what assessment the Government have made of the discovery of blisters found in the mouths of livestock during the foot and mouth outbreak but unconnected to the disease; and what impact they have had on efforts to diagnose the virus; [2177]
  6. (7) what estimate he has made of the consequential losses suffered by farmers whose animals are over 30 months old and are unable to proceed with the over 30-month-scheme; and if he will make them eligible for compensation; [2188]
  7. (8) upon what basis the Government decided not to use vaccination in their efforts to eradicate foot and mouth disease; [2182]
  8. (9) what assessment the Government have made of their decision not to use vaccination as an option to eradicate foot and mouth disease; [2171]
  9. (10) in what circumstances farmers and others were asked to sign secrecy or confidentiality agreements with her Department in relation to the foot and mouth epidemic; [2758]
  10. (11) what consideration the Government have given to providing compensation to those farmers who have not had livestock subjected to a cull but whose businesses have been severely affected by movement restrictions; [2762]
  11. (12) how many foot and mouth suspected cases that resulted in slaughter on suspicion (a) in Cumbria and (b) nationally subsequently received negative results from blood tests; [2569]
  12. (13) what representations have been made to the Government by temporary veterinary staff about the efficacy of the (a) biosecurity measures taken by the agricultural industry, (b) disinfecting operation and (c) contiguous cull operation; [2550]
  13. (14) what strategy the Government plan to put in place to alleviate the effect on employment in farming communities arising from the foot and mouth outbreak; [2547]
    14. 1101W
  14. (15) if the official figures for foot and mouth disease include calves and lambs slaughtered; [2735]
  15. (16) how many (a) firms of contractors and (b) individuals are engaged in the dismantling, disinfection and reassembly of milking parlours on farms in Cumbria; [2772]
  16. (17) if she will make a statement on her latest plans to save hefted sheep flocks in the Lake District; [2743]
  17. (18) how many animals have been slaughtered as a result of being classified as contiguous to premises which were confirmed as infected with foot and mouth and later received negative blood test results; [2567]
  18. (19) what percentage of suspect cases reported in Cumbria as foot and mouth were tested; and how many of those farms received a positive test reaction; [2763]
  19. (20) when she will (a) send every farm from which samples were taken for foot and mouth disease testing a copy of the results of the tests and (b) publish those results together with the names, addresses and holding numbers of the farms; [2750]
  20. (21) what arrangements her Department made on the ground to ensure the accuracy of numbers of sheep taken in the voluntary cull in Cumbria. [3248]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans she has to stop the spread of foot and mouth disease in(a) Vale of York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber region. [3469]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Keetch

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb inspection policy will be revised to reflect the difficulties encountered by farmers with 'D' notice restrictions in selling their stock in the aftermath of foot and mouth disease; and if she will make a statement. [2583]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 9 July 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Tyler

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion of livestock slaughtered from the outbreak of foot and mouth disease to 30 June(a) from holdings identified as infected and (b) from contiguous holdings, are estimated to have been infected with foot and mouth disease, in each county of England and in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement; [3893]

(2) how many livestock were slaughtered from the outbreak of foot and mouth disease to 30 June from (a) holdings identified as infected and (b) contiguous holdings, in (i) each county of England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland. [3892]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 13 July 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the locations of the(a) burial sites, (b) rendering plants, (c) incinerators, (d) licensed landfills and (e) pyres that have been used to dispose of carcases from the foot and mouth outbreak, indicating the dates when each location was in use and the estimated number of carcases. [3854]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 16 July 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what records are maintained of visits to farms by her Department's vets carrying out precautionary inspections; [2760]

  1. (2) what the average rate of (a) false negatives and (b) false positives in foot and mouth samples is from (i) cattle, (ii) sheep and (iii) deer; [2757]
  2. (3) what the statutory basis is for setting a 14-day limit on farmers appealing against valuations of their stock; [3450]
  3. (4) which lists of farmers included in the (a) 3km cull, (b) direct contact, (c) slaughter on suspicion and (d) contiguous culls have been circulated to (i) individuals and (ii) organisations outside Government Departments. [3454]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 8 August, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will make a statement on lifting the form D notices in(a) south Lancashire and (b) Lancashire; [2148]

  1. (2) if she will make a statement on the continuation of form D notices in south Lancashire; [2147]
  2. (3) if she will make a statement on the lifting of D restrictions in the Chorley constituency. [2689]

Mr. Morley

I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of the new foot and mouth outbreak in Brecon in spreading to Herefordshire and Worcestershire; and if she will make a statement. [2003]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 4 July 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to raise the level of insurance cover against future foot and mouth and other animal disease epidemics in the livestock farming industry. [2351]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 6 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what measures she will take to ensure that local roads are closed when culling is taking place; [4046]

  1. (2) what representations she has received that those involved in the culls are not observing the strict biosecurity measures; [4045]
  2. (3) what representations she has received on actions by her officials on an infected site covered by her Department's biosecurity provisions; [4048]
  3. (4) what assessment she has made of the impact on Thirsk Auction Mart of its closure as a collection centre; and if she will make a statement; [4044]
  4. (5) what criteria are used to decide on road closures in an infected zone; and if she will make a statement; [4047]
  5. (6) what representations she has received on the three kilometre restriction zone from an infected premises. [4050]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 8 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food purchased railway sleepers prior to the foot and mouth outbreak; [2180]

  1. (2) how much coal was bought by MAFF as part of contingency plans in the past five years; [2170]
  2. (3) how many farms in the United Kingdom were not culled as a result of appeals or interventions by owners of livestock; [2771]
  3. (4) what assessment the Government have made of the source of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease; and what provisions have been put in place to avert another outbreak; [2545]
  4. (5) how many (a) lorry loads of sheep were collected from farms in the voluntary cull, (b) receipts were given by collection staff to farmers and (c) copies were published of the standard receipt/official collection documents; [3438]
  5. (6) what verification procedures were undertaken by her Department at (a) Carlisle, (b) Page Street and (c) Alnwick before compensation for animals slaughtered on an IP was paid out. [3433]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 13 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Lembit ÖOpik

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the contingency plans which have been put in place in the event of a significant increase in the incidence of new cases of foot and mouth; and if she will make a statement. [1828]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 13 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review the compensation arrangements for farmers who have not had an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, but are unable to move their stock because they are under official D notice restrictions; and if she will make a statement. [2004]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 4 July 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 13 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the animal welfare implications of the methods of disposal chosen for animals culled under the foot and mouth programme, where such disposal was undertaken by members of the armed forces. [4177]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 16 July 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 13 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans were in place for vaccination prior to the foot and mouth outbreak; and when those plans had been made. [2187]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 15 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the contractors under contract to her Department in(a) Cumbria and (b) England. [2764]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 17 August 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to respond to the recommendations of the task force of the hills; and if she will make a statement. [2071]

Mr. Morley

I replied to my hon. Friend by letter on 3 September 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much foot and mouth has cost the rural economy to date. [6248]

Alun Michael

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 3 September 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much financial assistance is available to businesses in Cumbria to help them survive foot and mouth disease. [3440]

Alun Michael

I replied to the right hon. Member by letter on 9 September 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the damage to the agricultural and tourism sectors of the foot and mouth outbreak. [3468]

Mr. Morley

I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 11 September 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what scientific advice the Government have commissioned that contradicts aspects of the Government's foot and mouth slaughter policy; and if she will make a statement; [272]

  1. (2) What divergence there has been between the projected number of daily foot and mouth outbreaks as presented by the chief Government adviser on 3 May and the actual number of outbreaks; [271]
  2. (3) what the Government's current assessment is of the scientific assumptions that underpinned the Government's foot and mouth strategy as set out at the end of March; [274]
  3. (4) on whose recommendation the change to the Government's slaughter policy in respect of foot and mouth, announced on 26 April, was made; and if she will make public the advice given on this matter; [739]
  4. (5) if she will publish in full the advice sought and received from Professor Paul Kitching with regard to the Government's foot and mouth strategy. [287]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 25 June 2001]: I replied to the hon. Member by letter on 19 September 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the money generated annually from country shooting her Department estimates will be lost this year as a result of foot and mouth disease restrictions. [5671]

Alun Michael

[holding answer 20 July 2001]: I replied to my hon. Friend on 28 September 2001, and placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the(a) date, (b) location and (c) numbers are of all deer found (i) dead and (ii) slaughtered on suspicion of foot and mouth; and what the results of laboratory tests were on these deer. [5355]

Mr. Morley

Seventy-one samples have been taken from deer that were found dead and submitted for testing. All results received have tested negative for evidence of the foot and mouth virus, antigens or antibodies.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has collated on the susceptibility of deer to foot and mouth. [5356]

Mr. Morley

All cloven-hoofed animals, including deer, are susceptible to foot and mouth disease. Wild deer tend to show mild or inapparent disease, resembling the disease in sheep, although some species (eg roe deer and muntjak deer in the UK) may be severely affected.

Deer can be carriers of the foot and mouth virus, and could transmit foot and mouth disease to susceptible livestock during the clinical stages of the disease. However, the Department's current veterinary risk assessment indicates that the risk of wild deer playing any significant part in the spread of foot and mouth disease is very low. There are therefore no plans at this stage to control wild deer populations, although as more information becomes available about the epidemiology of the disease in areas where there are wild deer, the risk assessment will be updated.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost is of producing and delivering the new foot and mouth disease biosecurity video. [5248]

Mr. Morley

The cost of producing and distributing the biosecurity video amounted to £142,000.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence she has collated about the ability of(a) crows, (b) seagulls, (c) geese, (d) pigeons, (e) pheasants, (f) foxes and (g) badgers to spread foot and mouth by (i) body contact and (ii) other means. [5354]

Mr. Morley

Although none of these animals and birds is susceptible to foot and mouth disease, any of them could, in theory, play a role in spreading disease mechanically by moving contaminated material from one premises to another. However, there is no direct evidence of such spread in the current outbreak. The mechanical transmission of the FMD virus by rats and birds was the subject of research in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The risks were considered to be negligible if not zero.

In relation specifically to geese, a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out on the risk of migratory geese spreading foot and mouth disease. The conclusion of the assessment was that the risk of spreading FMD virus was "very low". The assessment may be found on the DEFRA website at: http://defraweb/footandmouth/ disease/risks/risk 12.htm.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if ring vaccination for foot and mouth actively was considered by her Department in the First week of the epidemic. [5265]

Mr. Morley

Vaccination against foot and mouth disease remains an option that is kept under continuous review. Ring vaccination is one possible approach, which aims to control the spread of infection within and outside an infected area. It reduces the amount of virus circulating in the area, as the vaccinated animals will be less infectious.

We did not ring vaccinate at the start of the outbreak because it was apparent that the virus had potentially been spread across a wide area, owing to the large number of movements that had taken place before the first case of foot and mouth disease was identified. This made ring vaccination an impractical option.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what instructions were given to the Post Office about disinfection of vehicles in foot and mouth risk areas. [5245]

Mr. Morley

MAFF provided the Post Office with general advice on the precautions they should take in the first few days of the outbreak. Detailed guidelines were subsequently drawn up on 12 March for all delivery companies. These guidelines were checked by veterinary staff, and the Post Office. A final version of the guidelines was sent to the Post Office on 25 March and placed on the Department's website on 10 April.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions her Department has contacted farmers to inspect animals for foot and mouth which had been slaughtered. [5349]

Mr. Morley

We take every care to avoid making visits to premises where animals have been slaughtered due to the foot and mouth disease outbreak. However, the scale of the current outbreak means that occasional errors do occur. While there are no figures available, we believe these to be isolated incidents.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Department first gave detailed advice to farmers on foot and mouth bio-security. [5247]

Mr. Morley

The Department's predecessor, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, issued a News Release on 22 February providing advice to farmers and the public, including advice on cleansing and disinfection. Foot and Mouth Disease Public Information Factsheet Number 2 (How to protect your farm) was sent to all livestock farmers on 5 March.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what farmers were involved in an advisory capacity in the production of the foot and mouth disease bio-security video. [5249]

Mr. Morley

An NFU representative with a farming background was involved at every stage of producing the biosecurity video which was distributed to all livestock farmers. He worked in collaboration with the production team, providing advice on the visual content, checking the script and making any changes necessary, and reviewing the 'rough cut' and final version of the video tape. The final version of the biosecurity video had the NFU's stamp of approval. The NFU representative in the Joint Communication Centre in London also had input in the cover letter to farmers which accompanied the video, signed by Chief Veterinary Officer, Jim Scudamore.

During taping itself, two farmers were directly involved because their properties featured in the video. One farmer was from Yorkshire and the other from the south-east.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the contractors used by her Department in Carlisle on(a) 1 March, (b) 1 April, (c) 1 May, (d) 1 June and (e) 10 July. [5241]

Mr. Morley

From information held centrally, the contractors who have been used by the Department in Carlisle on(a) 1 March, (b) 1 April, (c) 1 May, (d) 1 June and (e) 10 July (contractors dealt with MAFF up to and including 9 July and with DEFRA from 10 July onwards) are provided in a table available in the Libraries of the House.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason washing soda was not included on the list of suitable foot and mouth disease disinfectants for washing farmers' clothes and boots. [5244]

Mr. Morley

Sodium carbonate (decahydrate) complying with BS 3674 of 1963 is approved as a disinfectant for use against foot and mouth disease when used at the approved dilution rate, as indicated on the list of approved disinfectants on the DEFRA website http:/defraweb/footandmouth/disease/disinfection/disinfect2.asp.

Further advice on the use of sodium carbonate for cleaning shoes and clothing can be found on the website at/disinfection/ph.asp.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the advantages and disadvantages of using vaccination against foot and mouth. [5289]

Mr. Morley

The Government's priority is to eradicate foot and mouth disease. The primary advantage of vaccination against foot and mouth disease is that it could help to contain the disease. The primary disadvantage of vaccination is that it does not remove the virus.

Detailed information about the issues to be considered in the use of vaccination and the underlying science is on the DEFRA website and is included in my letter of 13 September 2001 to all Members of Parliament.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the detailed information on foot and mouth bio-security available on the MAFF website was circulated to farmers in hard copy form. [5243]

Mr. Morley

Biosecurity information was first mailed to all farmers in England on 5 March 2001. This was supplemented by further information contained in mailings on 12 April, 21 April, and 17 May. All information was posted on the MAFF website at the time of mailing.

The 'Stopping the Spread' of disease campaign material (video and leaflet), which forms the core of the biosecurity information currently featured on the DEFRA website, was mailed on 6 July.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list in descending order the main ways in which the foot and mouth virus spreads. [5246]

Mr. Morley

Analyses have been completed for the first 1,903 infected farms, and epidemiological investigations continue on the most recent cases to determine the source of infection and method of spread.

Short distance aerosol spread cannot be distinguished from other causes of local spread within 3 km of infected premises, which accounts for 79 per cent. of cases. In these cases there is often a number of possible means of spread such as using common facilities, contaminated roadways and movement of people and farm vehicles. In addition, however, 107 cases have been specifically associated with lorry movements or movements of people.

In the latter part of the epidemic, transmission by vehicles, other inanimate objects and people have predominated.

The breakdown is as follows (as at 31 August 2001):

GB Total
Wind borne (not local) 18
Dairy tanker 11
Truck 28
Other inanimate object 12
Local1 1,500
Person 68
Infected animals 89
Under investigation 177
Grand total 1,903
1IP within 3 km of another IP; exact source unclear, but associated with two or more means of spread through vehicles, people, inanimate objects and local aerosol spread

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many European vets have been taken off foot and mouth duties because of complaints from farmers about their(a) ability and (b) behaviour. [5348]

Mr. Morley

The number of European vets taken off foot and mouth duties because of complaints about their(a) ability and (b) behaviour is 2;

  1. (a) ability is 0
  2. (b) behaviour is 2 out of a total of 412 who have been dealing with foot and mouth disease.

Note:

These figures are correct as at 30 September 2001

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm pyres in Cumbria have had to be re-lit with the use of diesel oil; and on how many occasions. [5353]

Mr. Morley

All 131 pyres were lit with diesel oil used as an accelerant. However some pyres needed to be stoked up with additional materials (pallets, straw etc.). No records were kept of the number of pyres that needed to be re-lit. On no occasion was a pyre re-lit using diesel oil only.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many vaccination shots against foot and mouth are available for use in the UK; and if she will describe the vaccine. [5252]

Mr. Morley

Vaccine is formulated from antigen (inactivated FMD virus) in a solution (adjuvant) which stimulates the immune response. The virus strain used is O1 Manisa.

As of the end of September 2001 we have 6.4 million doses of commercial antigen which would be enough to vaccinate at least 2.5 million animals. The exact number of doses needed per animal depends on the potency strength of the final vaccine, the number of doses given and the length of time we wish the animals to be protected. We have also placed a reserve on 125,000 doses of vaccine held in the European Vaccine Bank. This would have to be replaced if it was used.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the work being done with animal carcases at the Hallburn site, Longtown, Cumbria. [5347]

Mr. Morley

The DEFRA Hallburn site is used to transfer carcases of slaughtered animals to render vehicles for onward transportation to render plants. However, wherever possible, carcases are now being sent directly from the farm to the render plants. The Hallburn site is still needed in those cases where direct transfer from farm to render is not practical due to the small number of animals involved of where farms are inaccessible to the normal render wagons.

DEFRA is now looking for new sites in which to locate the render transfer facility, to reflect the fact that recent cases have been occurring in the south of the county, nearer to the render plants. If a new site is found, the facility at Hallburn will be decommissioned.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received concerning(a) co-ordination by her Department's officials of efforts to combat foot and mouth and (b) the way in which her Department's officials observe the Department's biosecurity precautions; and if she will make a statement. [5507]

Mr. Morley

We have received a number of representations on both these issues from a wide range of interested parties.

Part of the Government's approach to combating the foot and mouth outbreak has been regular meetings with stakeholders at local and national level and the involvement of other key Government Departments and agencies, both in the regions and in a central Joint Co-ordination Centre (JCC). The Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) has provided a forum for high level and strategic co-ordination, chaired by Ministers. During the height of the disease, COBR met seven days a week (twice a day on Monday to Friday).

The Government's key priority is to eradicate foot and mouth disease as quickly as possible and vigilance and high standards of biosecurity are crucial. It is therefore imperative that DEFRA staff are seen to be applying good biosecurity measures at all times and at every available opportunity officials are reminded of this. Any breaches in these standards will be treated with the utmost seriousness.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received requesting a full public inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis. [5508]

Mr. Morley

Ministers have received a number of representations from a variety of organisations and individuals regarding a full public inquiry into the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

On 9 August, the Prime Minister announced three independent inquiries into the lessons to be learned from the foot and mouth disease outbreak and the future of farming and the countryside. These will cover the lessons to be learned from the outbreak, to be chaired by Dr. Iain Anderson; a scientific review by the Royal Society to be chaired by Sir Brian Follett FRS; and a Policy Commission on the future of farming and food to be chaired by Sir Don Curry.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards producing contingency plans for preventing the spread of foot and mouth through(a) the Vale of York, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) the Yorkshire and the Humber Region. [5435]

Mr. Morley

Further to my letter of 6 August to the hon. Member, which is available in the Libraries of the House, I confirmed that a contingency plan had been drawn up and would be refined in the light of new developments. Detailed planning has continued to address the possibility of any resurgence of disease in Yorkshire. A revised version of the contingency plan was prepared in September. Following the success of the Thirsk Restricted Infected Area (RIA) the plan includes, among other things, provision for the establishment of further RIAs should they be needed. The plan will be kept under continuous review.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms were visited by a vet from her Department before contracting foot and mouth disease during the current outbreak. [5618]

Mr. Morley

Ministry veterinary staff are required to visit farms as part of their day to day responsibilities. In the context of the current outbreak, these visits could include patrols or be for licensing reasons. We have no information on how many of these farms subsequently became infected premises.

Visits by DEFRA staff would be investigated as part of the epidemiological review. In the current epidemic there is no evidence of infection having been introduced by this means.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out in detail the steps taken by her Department to process claims for animals slaughtered on an infected premises, setting out the reasons for taking each such step. [5615]

Mr. Morley

A claim form signed by the owner, the valuer (if applicable) and departmental official who attended the valuation is submitted to the local animal health office where initial scrutiny of the claim is carried out. A record is kept of all claims submitted and copies of the form are retained. The claim is then sent to Page street HQ in London where it is processed for payment, except for payments under the Cumbrian 3km cull which were sent direct to the DEFRA finance unit at Alnwick.

At Page street all claims are checked for arithmetical correctness and to ensure they are correctly signed by valuer, owner and departmental official. The number of animals claimed for the dates the animals were valued and slaughtered are checked against centrally held records and any discrepancies resolved. On some occasions, additional information is requested from valuers to substantiate the value for some animals. The reason for the checks is to ensure the Department pays the correct amount of compensation for the right number of animals slaughtered to the rightful owner of the animals.

After payment has been approved at an appropriate level, a payment request is sent to the DEFRA finance unit at Alnwick, along with bank account details to enable payment to be made to the claimant by BACS transfer. Where bank details are not available payment is made by cheque.

David Maclean

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in Cumbria have been notified that the numbers of sheep collected by lorries in the voluntary cull were less than the numbers previously valued. [5547]

Mr. Morley

DEFRA/MAFF received over 2,100 compensation claims in total as a result of the 3km cull. Around 200 farmers were initially paid for less than the total number of animals shown on the valuation. This was because of differences between the number of animals valued and the number shown as collected.

Farmers who were not paid their full valuation were told that the reduction was an interim measure to allow us to pay them something and they were given an opportunity to make representations and submit additional information to allow us to reassess their case. Following receipt of additional evidence and information we have authorised 169 additional payments in respect of the valuations originally reduced because of discrepancies between numbers claimed and collected.

Mr. Swire

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much compensation has been paid to date to people affected by foot and mouth in East Devon. [5745]

Mr. Morley

It is difficult to establish the exact amount of compensation paid to particular parts of a county or region. From the information currently available the provisional amount paid in statutory compensation for foot and mouth disease to producers in Devon is £86,901,302.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what restrictions are placed on the import of meat from countries in which foot and mouth disease is endemic; [5178]

(2) in which countries foot and mouth disease is endemic; and from which of those countries the importation of (a) carcases, (b) raw meat and (c) cooked meat is permitted. [5179]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 19 July 2001]: Community legislation does permit the importation of meat and meat products from certain countries where foot and mouth disease is endemic but only where the disease is restricted to specific areas. Imports are only permitted from parts of the country that are free of disease or under conditions that ensure the meat does not represent any health risk. These provisions are in line with the recommendations of the Northumberland Committee following the 1967 outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK.

All meat and meat products imported from third countries must be accompanied by veterinary certification, which includes confirmation that the meat is derived from animals which have been subjected to an ante-mortem inspection during the 24 hours prior to slaughter in order to confirm, among other things, that the animal shows no signs of foot and mouth disease.

If there is an outbreak of disease likely to present a risk to human or animal health such as foot and mouth disease, Community legislation allows us to ban imports of meat from all, or parts, of the country concerned. Recent examples include Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Swaziland, Uruguay and Zimbabwe, and within the EU, France, the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.

All meat and meat products imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 20 per cent. of consignments undergo physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition. They are carried out by Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs) employed by the local authority in which the BIP is located.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help will be provided to farmers affected by foot and mouth disease to enable them to return to farming. [6206]

Mr. Morley

The previous Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend (Mr. Brown), announced on 8 May a range of measures amounting to £15.4 million, made up of: £10.4 million for an enhanced Farm Business Advice Service (FBAS) offering up to five days of free business advice for farmers whose livestock have been slaughtered under the foot and mouth control measures; £2 million in grant aid made available under a new round of the Agricultural Development Scheme, to improve marketing performance and competitiveness of sectors affected by foot and mouth; £3 million for a targeted trade development and market campaign, made available through Food from Britain who will co-ordinate their campaign with the Countryside Agency, Meat and Livestock Commission and others with an active interest.

FBAS is a free and confidential service which is provided by an experienced farm business adviser and is available to any farmer in England who has had stock compulsorily slaughtered as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak. We have sent a letter to all farmers in this category.

An adviser will review the farmer's business and arrange for an environmental evaluation to be conducted by an appropriate specialist. The adviser will then help them prepare a whole farm recovery plan which will help farmers to develop new income opportunities and access the range of other support measures available to them. Advice is also provided on re-stocking.

The Government's long-term strategy for the future of the agriculture industry aims to facilitate the development of a sustainable, competitive and diverse farming and food sector within a thriving rural economy that advances environmental, health and animal welfare goals. The independent Policy Commission announced on 9 August will look at the future of food and farming and advise us on how to achieve this.

All this is in addition to the £1 billion paid out to farmers in compensation for animals slaughtered due to foot and mouth disease.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much compensation has been paid to date to people affected by foot and mouth disease in south Lancashire. [6207]

Mr. Morley

From the information available on 27 September, the provisional amount paid in compensation for livestock slaughtered due to foot and mouth disease to producers in Lancashire is £39,763,091. A figure for south Lancashire could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Adam Price

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have yet to receive compensation for the slaughter of their animals resulting from the foot and mouth disease crisis in(a) the UK and (b) Wales. [6408]

Mr. Morley

As at 4 October 2001 the number of farmers awaiting compensation was;(a) 430 in the UK, including (b) 53 in Wales.

Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of Britain's abattoirs she estimates will close due to the foot and mouth crisis. [6247]

Mr. Morley

The number of abattoirs has been in decline for a considerable number of years. It is recognised that abattoirs have experienced much disruption during the foot and mouth disease outbreak. However, identifying the impact of foot and mouth disease would be extremely difficult, especially before the outbreak has run its course.

Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria she will use in deciding when the foot and mouth outbreak is over. [6249]

Mr. Morley

The OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) sets out the criteria for regaining disease-free status. To regain our disease-free status (without vaccination), we must be able to declare that there have been no outbreaks of disease for three months; that no vaccination has been carried out for at least 12 months; that we have not imported vaccinated animals; that all regulatory measures for the prevention and control of foot and mouth disease have been implemented and that we have documented evidence of an effective system of surveillance in operation.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what audit procedures are undertaken on authorised contractors to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are retained on contracts to cleanse and disinfect foot and mouth affected premises. [6084]

Mr. Morley

Authorised contractors to DEFRA retained on contracts to cleanse and disinfect foot and mouth affected premises have their services and charges subjected to audit and review by clerks of works, quantity surveyors and forensic accountants engaged by DEFRA.

Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure that British agriculture is protected in case of a resurgence of foot and mouth disease. [6487]

Mr. Morley

Once foot and mouth disease has been eradicated, we will continue to be vigilant, in order to prevent a recurrence of the disease.

Imports of meat and meat products into the United Kingdom, as into other member states of the European Union, take place within the framework of European law. The UK imports livestock under EU or national rules only from countries or areas officially recognised as being free from foot and mouth disease.

The control of meat and meat product imports into this country involves the inspection of commercial imports at border inspection posts, controls on personal imports and action in shops and other food premises against sales of illegally imported food. The Government are taking action in all of these contexts to build on existing controls.

Where farms have been culled due to foot and mouth disease, certain rules apply before restocking can take place to minimise the risk of recurrence of the disease. Alternatively, if the farmer does not wish to restock at once, restrictions are lifted four months after the full and final C and D, subject to a final inspection. If it has not been possible to complete a full C and D to DEFRA's satisfaction, 12 months must elapse after the preliminary C and D before restocking can take place.

Biosecurity measures are also vital in helping to prevent the spread and resurgence of foot and mouth disease. As part of the ongoing campaign to provide timely and accurate information and advice to all concerned we have mailed biosecurity guidelines, leaflets and letters and placed adverts in local, national and specialist publications. In addition, local veterinary inspectors have contacted their clients to discuss biosecurity and other aspects of the disease.

The Department has contingency plans to deal with all notifiable exotic animal diseases, including foot and mouth disease. These are regularly updated and tested by the state veterinary service.

The Government in addition have announced two independent inquiries to look into the lessons to be learned from the current outbreak of foot and mouth, and a public commission to examine how the Government can create a sustainable, competitive and diverse farming and food sector which contributes to a thriving rural economy while at the same time advances environmental, economic health and animal welfare goals. We want to learn the lessons for the future, quickly and without great expense.

Mr. Luff

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 19 July 2001 (4135),Official Report column 396W, what is the nature of the help being offered by Advantage West Midlands to businesses in Worcestershire affected by the foot and mouth restrictions. [6630]

Alun Michael

Advantage West Midlands has worked with partners to tackle the economic impact of foot and mouth disease through a range of measures including: advice to businesses via Business Link and £4 million Rural Recovery Fund targeted at small businesses in Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. As a result, 57 of the businesses helped have been in Worcestershire Advice to visitors through a promotional campaign developed by the Heart of England Tourist Board, with a marketing campaign around the May bank holidays. A tourism marketing recovery programme of around £800,000 with a balance of regional and local activity including £70,000 given to a Worcestershire programme.

Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of officials her Department needs to manage the foot and mouth outbreak. [6626]

Mr. Morley

The number of officials engaged in the management and control of the foot and mouth outbreak has varied widely according to the state of the disease. At the height there were about 6,000 officials directly involved with the management and control of the disease. This figure has now reduced significantly, but staff can quickly be recalled in the event of an escalation of the disease.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many businesses have received financial assistance through grants offered to businesses affected by foot and mouth disease; and how much the budget is for such grants in the South West of England. [6473]

Alun Michael

Some 3,500 businesses in England have so far received a grant. The budget for such grants in the south-west is £9.2 million.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date guidance was sent to Forest of Dean district council concerning grants and assistance to tourism businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. [6464]

Alun Michael

Business Link Gloucestershire provided the Forest of Dean district council with an outline of the scheme in May. It was agreed that the Business Link would work in partnership with the Forest of Dean district council to promote awareness of grant funding, and at the beginning of June the businesses who had contacted FDCC to seek assistance were sent details of the scheme.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when it is expected that businesses in the Forest of Dean, which have met the criteria for obtaining grants to assist them after foot and mouth disease, will receive the money. [6465]

Alun Michael

The timing of receipt of money depends on the speed at which the business, which is being grant aided, can complete the relevant action. Thirty-six businesses have already been grant aided to a total of £342,000, and 26 businesses are still in discussions with advisers.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria are for obtaining a grant for a business affected by foot and mouth disease; who set the criteria; and on what advice. [6466]

Alun Michael

The criteria were set by the then Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in consultation with other Government Departments, to the effect that the business had been substantially adversely affected, had taken all reasonable steps to reduce costs, could present evidence of sound trading immediately before the outbreak, and could demonstrate that it was likely to be able to return to profit within 12 months. Help was available only to small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) and to a maximum of £15,000.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many businesses in(a) Gloucestershire and (b) Herefordshire have received financial assistance through grants offered to businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. [6467]

Alun Michael

One hundred and six businesses in Gloucestershire had received approval for grant funding as at 20 September. Ninety seven businesses in Herefordshire had received approval for grant funding as at 30 September.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when information and guidance was issued to Gloucestershire Business Link about grants and assistance to businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. [6469]

Alun Michael

Business Link Gloucestershire received formal notification via a contract dated 31 May (which they received on 4 June).

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been awarded to Business Link Gloucestershire for grants to offer assistance to businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. [6470]

Alun Michael

£2.421 million has been allocated to Business Link Gloucestershire for business support.

Diana Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average length of time is between application and award by(a) Gloucestershire Business Link and (b) Herefordshire Business Links in respect of grants to assist businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. [6488]

Alun Michael

Care has been taken to allow decisions on applications for help under this scheme to be dealt with in a way which meets the needs of each region and the local needs within each region, which is why we have depended on the local expertise of Business Links.

The different administrative systems adopted by the two agencies do not allow a straightforward comparison of this sort to be made.

Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to increase awareness among rural businesses of the financial aid available due to the foot and mouth outbreak. [6668]

Alun Michael

The Government have been actively raising awareness among affected businesses of the financial aid available to help cope with the impact of foot and mouth disease. The Small Business Service has sent out 3.7 million copies of their leaflet "Coping with Foot and Mouth—help for business" via banks, post offices, trade associations, employer organisations, etc. Business advice fact sheets have been posted on DEFRA's website, http://www.defra.gov.uk/ and we have set up help lines. The regional development agencies have also been actively promoting the business recovery fund.

Preliminary results from research by Prism Consulting for the Department in September reveals that 40 per cent. of businesses had sought assistance from an outside organisation—be that central or local government, or through the regional development agencies, etc.—which is an improvement on earlier results. We continue to look at the most effective means to engage the rural business community in order to make sure that assistance gets to those businesses with the most pressing need.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce a UK national top-up to the sheep annual premium scheme to offset the reduction in premiums arising from the effect of the foot and mouth outbreaks. [7444]

Mr. Morley

Rates of sheep annual premium are determined each year by the European Commission and are based on the difference between the EU basic price for sheepmeat and the annual average price for sheepmeat on the EU market. There is no provision in the EU sheepmeat regime for national top-ups of the EU rate.

Mr. Sayeed

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the import into Britain of livestock products is allowed from countries in which foot and mouth is endemic. [7763]

Mr. Morley

European Community legislation does permit the importation of meat and meat products from certain countries where foot and mouth disease is endemic but only where the disease is restricted to specific areas. Imports are only permitted from parts of the country that are free of disease or under conditions that ensure the meat does not represent any health risk. These provisions are in line with the guidelines set out in the Office International des Epizooties International Animal Health Code 2001.

All meat and meat products imported from third countries must be accompanied by veterinary certification, which includes confirmation that the meat is derived from animals which have been subjected to an ante-mortem inspection during the 24 hours prior to slaughter in order to confirm, among other things, that the animal shows no signs of foot and mouth disease.

All meat and meat products imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK border inspection posts (BIPs) where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 20 per cent. of consignments undergo physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition.

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