HL Deb 08 May 2002 vol 634 cc185-6WA
The Earl of Caithness

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the increased risk of zoonoses as a result of their granting greater access to the countryside; and what is the extra cost to farmers to insure against this. [HL3911]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

The new access rights granted by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act will apply only on

SE FBZ TB Welfare TSEs Endemics Vetmed Total spend
DEFRA/MAFF funded veterinary research
1992–93 2,534,312 1,314,202 922,200 5,047,372 5,700,000 4,238,000 1,011,000 20,767,086
1993–94 3,655,164 1,613,991 1,071,544 4,829,620 6,200,000 4,805,000 1,151,000 23,326,319
1994–95 4,426,804 1,712,476 1,286,560 4,228,202 5,800,000 3,960,771 1,689,424 23,104,237
1995–96 4,189,123 1,908,169 1,484,286 4,255,462 5,600,000 3,892,278 1,712,758 23,042,076
1996–97 3,997,814 1,920,323 1,692,981 4,200,706 6,800,000 3,995,019 1,837,397 24,441,240
1997–98 3,650,299 1,993,241 1,719,387 4,087,745 10,100,000 3,785,207 1,804,333 27,140,212
1998–99 3,549,670 1,743,123 2,541,005 3,654,758 12,651,000 3,760,415 1,809,258 29,709,229
1999–2000 3,803,981 3,023,709 4,114,066 3,361,174 15,068,000 3,315,959 1,439,685 34,126,574
2000–01 3,746,853 3,528,362 5,265,709 3,714,391 13,284,000 3,127,310 1,576,388 34,243,013
2001–02 3,864,687 3,348,476 6,112,005 3,208,878 16,243,407 2,967,958 1,831,383 37,576,794
Universities
1992–93 0 111,202 96,004 1,203,014 227,711 0 0 1,637,931
1993–94 0 69,991 97,404 938,871 311,074 0 0 1,417,340
1994–95 0 71,480 21,560 746,610 312,800 0 81,736 1,234,186
1995–96 0 57,978 49,350 750,917 195,951 0 7,670 1,061,866
1996–97 0 0 48,414 980,143 240,727 117,377 42,612 1,428,818
1997–98 0 0 71,759 1,243,793 398,298 146,316 122,981 1,983,147
1998–99 0 0 92,933 1,020,863 342,331 136,069 62,629 1,654,825
1999–2000 0 402,245 843,914 821,287 608,004 49,923 34,469 2,759,842
2000–01 0 926,920 1,113,194 1,296,000 876,898 206,603 246,518 4,666,133
2001–02 0 1,033,110 1,277,677 1,427,790 1,122,086 389,745 389,745 5,640,153
Other institutes
1992–93 2,534,312 1,203,000 826,196 3,844,358 5,472,289 4,238,000 1,011,000 19,129,155
1993–94 3,655,164 1,544,000 974,140 3,890,749 5,888,926 4,805,000 1,151,000 21,908,979
1994–95 4,426,804 1,640,996 1,265,000 3,481,592 5,487,200 3,960,771 1,607,688 21,870,051
1995–96 4,189,123 1,850,191 1,434,936 3,504,545 5,404,049 3,892,278 1,705,088 21,980,210
1996–97 3,997,814 1,920,323 1,644,567 3,220,663 6,559,728 3,877,642 1,794,785 23,015,522
1997–98 3,650,299 1,993,241 1,647,628 2,843,952 9,701,702 3,638,891 1,681,352 25,157,065

"access land" and generally not on improved or semi-improved grass land which is more intensively grazed and where the public is more likely to come into contact with animals and their faeces. The overall risk to the individual user of the countryside from zoonoses and to farmers' livestock from humans carrying such infections is therefore not expected to change significantly.