§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to announce conclusions about the future of livestock markets. [9627]
§ Mr. MorleyFor reasons of foot and mouth disease control, there are no plans to re-open livestock markets in the immediate future. Veterinary and scientific advice is that there is an inherent risk of spreading the disease by mixing animals together and then dispersing them. Any livestock keeper with poor standards of biosecurity might attend markets from anywhere in the country and put at risk others attending the market. Even in designated free counties it would take only one such lapse in biosecurity precautions to spread the disease. It is right to be cautious at this stage but the situation will be kept under review.