§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what notification was received by her Department concerning the possible death of cattle from foot and mouth-disease at Thornhill Farm, Cwymbach, Aberdare on 4 October 2000; and if she will make a statement. [51401]
§ Margaret BeckettInquiries made by the Department indicate that the farmer concerned first informed the National Assembly of Wales (NAW) of his belief that two cattle on his farm had died in August 2000 as a result of foot and mouth disease in a letter dated 3 November 2001 addressed to the First Minister. There is no record of the farmer having made this suggestion to the Department or to the NAW in October 2000, or at any other time prior to his letter of 3 November 2001:
There was no reason to suspect the presence of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom prior to the discovery of the first suspect case on 19 February 2001.