§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the farms in North Yorkshire which became foot and mouth infected premises after their appeal against her Department's decision to cull on their land was upheld by the Divisional Veterinary Manager. [37528]
§ Margaret BeckettThe seven farms were premises under the following ownership
D. M. and R. E. Capstick of Bellbusk parish, Settle—IP 2001/1739P. T. Stephenson of Bishopdale parish—IP 2001/1812Mr. and G. D. Beresford of Haltonwest parish, Settle—IP 2001/1663J. H. Clarke Partners of Kepwick parish, Thirsk—IP 2001/1930Bainbridge Partners of Lealholm parish, Whitby—IP 2001/1815Wade and Son of Linton parish, Settle—IP 2001/1770W. and D. Scaife and Son of Nether Silton parish, Thirsk—IP 2001/1847.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many(a) sheep, (b) cattle and (c) other animals subject to the three kilometre cull policy during the foot and mouth outbreak in Cumbria were destroyed under voluntary arrangements; and if she will make a statement. [38824]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 28 February 2002]: During the foot and mouth outbreak the following number of animals were slaughtered in Cumbria as a result of 3km cull arrangements:
782WSheep—405,557Pigs—3,344Goats—147.These data are based on DEFRA's Disease Control System (DCS) Database as at 25 February 2002. The figures may be subject to revision as DEFRA's data cleansing exercise is carried out and as more data becomes available.
In the 3km cull animals were culled under the powers in the Animal Health Act 1981, on the basis that they had been exposed to infection. However, it was implemented by dealing first with those farms where keepers were willing to co-operate with the cull, hence the use of the term "voluntary cull" as a shorthand for the 3km cull operation.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the flock of sheep in Kirkby Stephen in which one animal was found to be foot and mouth antibody positive was tested for the presence of antibodies prior to its arrival on the farm. [38825]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 28 February 2002]: Yes, the flock of sheep from which the seropositive sheep originated had been tested previously for the presence of antibodies, with negative results.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether confirmed cases of foot and mouth are determined according to clinical signs of the disease, the presence of disease antibodies, the presence of a live virus, or by other means; and if she will make a statement on whether the criteria for determining infected premises has changed since 30 September. [38831]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 28 February 2002]: During last year's outbreak, diagnosis of food and mouth disease (FMD) was normally confirmed by the National Disease Control Centre on the basis of clinical observations of a veterinary inspector on the spot. Some cases were confirmed on the basis of laboratory tests which confirmed the presence of FMD antibodies or virus. It is nearly five months since the last outbreak of foot and mouth and confirmation of any future case would need to be based on laboratory tests that confirm the presence of the virus.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports she has received from police officers on police involvement in the culling of animals during the foot and mouth epidemic. [41219]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 11 March 2002]: The Department has received no reports on police involvement in the culling of animals during the foot and mouth epidemic.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many suspected cases of foot and mouth disease there have been since 30 September. [40370]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 4 March 2002]: Since 30 September there have been 75 suspected cases of foot and mouth disease reported in the United Kingdom. All have been thoroughly investigated and in all cases no evidence of the foot and mouth virus was found.
783WNotes:
This figure includes:
Report cases which were later cleared on clinical examination;Slaughter on Suspicion (SOS) and Test on Suspicion (TOS) animals slaughtered on the grounds of suspected clinical signs of the disease.Not included in this figure:
Flocks and animals in flocks which were slaughtered on the basis of sero-positive reactions where there were no clinical signs of disease are not classified as suspect cases as these animals were slaughtered because DEFRA had evidence that the animals had been exposed to infection but there were no grounds to suspect disease.Source:
DEFRA Disease Control System database as at 12:00 on 4 March 2002–figures are subject to change as more data become available.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates, within the last two years, orders have been placed for the manufacture and printing of signs and notices indicating that the public should keep off premises owing to the presence of foot and mouth disease. [39990]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The Department keeps stocks of a range of warning notices for the control of food and mouth disease. The following orders were placed by the Animal Disease Control Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with the Department's own printing services.
- (i) On 22 February 2001, an order for the printing of notice FM44 which says "Please keep out".
- (ii) On 6 March 2001, an order for the printing of notice FM25, which says "No admittance on account of FMD".
- (iii) On 24 may 2001, an order for the printing of poster FM28 "Notice to the General Public in FMD Infected Areas".
Information on orders placed by local Animal Health Offices and Disease Control Centres is not readily available.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the contractors involved in the slaughter and disposal of animals at Sparum Farm, Kidderminster, during the foot and mouth epidemic; and what the cost to public funds of their work was. [40369]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 4 March 2002]: The contractors involved in the slaughter and disposal of animals at Sparum Farm, Kidderminster, during the foot and mouth epidemic were: F. M. Caine and Sons, Ruttle Plant Hire Ltd. and Farm Assist Ltd. The invoices and accounts for this work have not been finalised.
§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 212W, on culls, what measures she is taking to compensate those animal owners whose appeals against culls were upheld; and if she will make a statement. [41970]
§ Mr. MorleyCompensation at market value is paid to farmers whose animals are slaughtered as part of foot and mouth disease control measures taken under the Animal Health Act 1981.
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what basis the decision was taken for interviews with Ministers and784W senior officials not to be recorded verbatim during the Anderson Lessons Learned inquiry; and if she will make a statement. [40704]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 5 March 2002]: This is a matter for the Lessons Learned inquiry. The conditions under which any person will be interviewed (not just Ministers and senior officials) in London by the inquiry are outlined in Dr. Anderson's "Procedures for Gathering Information at Inquiry Meetings", which is available on the Lessons Learned website.
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 212W, on foot and mouth disease monitoring, how many sentinel animals have been tested for foot-and-mouth since restocking of culled premises began; and what proportion were identified as carrying the foot-and-mouth (a) live virus and(b) antibody. [41973]
§ Mr. Morley189,694 blood samples from sentinel animals have been tested since restocking began. Six samples (0.003 per cent.) have tested positive for Foot and Mouth Disease antibodies. No live virus has been detected.