§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers' markets have not re-opened since the foot and mouth crisis last year; where these markets are; and what information she has collated on the reasons why they have not re-opened. [70269]
§ Mr. MorleyThe re-opening of livestock markets has been monitored since the introduction of the interim livestock movement rules on 11 February this year.
A livestock market has been taken to be a market opening on a non-seasonal basis, selling livestock species susceptible to foot and mouth disease and which had been operating as a livestock market prior to last year's outbreak.
920WAs of 1 July 2002, of the 171 livestock markets to which the above definition applied:
130 (76 per cent.) had re-opened;29 (17 per cent.) had indicated they hoped to re-open;12 (7 per cent.) had indicated they had no plans to re-open.Of those markets with no plans to re-open, the reasons for not re-opening were understood to be:
Seven (58 per cent.) due to the livestock movement and biosecurity rules;Three (25 per cent.) due to commercial reasons not connected with the interim rules;Two (17 per cent.) reasons unclear (reasons are being sought).These 12 markets are set out in the table:
Market County Reason Aylsham Norfolk Interim rules Llanfair Caereinion Powys Interim rules Gowerton Swansea Interim rules Broughton Cumbria Unclear Pembroke Pembrokeshire Unclear Gloucester Gloucestershire Commercial Knaresborough North Yorkshire Interim rules Ripon North Yorkshire Commercial Grantham Lincolnshire Interim rules Newport (Isle of Wight) Isle of Wight Interim rules Rye Sussex Interim rules Leominster Herefordshire Commercial These data have been collected from DEFRA Animal Health Offices and are kept under review.