Biosecurity (Hansard, 16 May 2002)

§ 26. Mr. Carmichael
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the role to be played in improved biosecurity measures by the state veterinary service. [55145]

§ Mr. Morley
The state veterinary service played a vital role in promoting biosecurity during the foot and mouth disease outbreak and it will continue to be a key link in the promotion of the biosecurity message.
Local veterinary staff are providing advice relating to on-farm biosecurity when requested and this advice is particularly important when farms are restocking following the outbreak. The biosecurity message is being promoted at local meetings dealing with disease control with farmers and other stakeholders.
The Department is planning to issue a biosecurity code of practice later in the year and will be considering a further biosecurity campaign. The state veterinary service will again play a key role in the delivery of that message.

§ Mr. Peter Ainsworth
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the financial impact of movement and biosecurity regulations on agricultural shows; and if she will make a statement. [54347]

§ Margaret Beckett
[holding answer 7 May 2002]: The licence conditions for biosecurity at livestock shows, and the movement of animals to and from them, have been developed in close association with the shows organisers and those stakeholders who will be taking livestock to shows this year. No costings have been provided by these interests during the discussions and none have been drawn up by my Department.
The need for strict biosecurity is keenly appreciated by the majority of show organisers. I am pleased that they are taking a responsible attitude to biosecurity to protect livestock farmers and the wider rural community from another devastating outbreak of animal disease. The rules have been drawn up on the advice of the Department's vets to minimise the risk of disease associated with the re-opening of livestock shows and they will be kept under review to ensure that they remain proportionate to the disease risk.