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Correspondence
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter to her predecessor from the right hon. Member for Berkwick-upon-Tweed dated 8 February about genetically indexed flocks, to which a holding reply was sent on 12 February. [1486]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 July 2001]: I replied to the letter from the right hon. Member for Berwick- upon-Tweed on 4 July 2001.
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Mr. Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letters regarding Mr. Stephen Dorey of Norton Disney of 25 May and 12 and 18 June. [1980]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 4 July 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to the letters from the right hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) on 2 July 2001.
Intervention Board
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many administrative staff were employed by the Intervention Board in each of the last 10 years. [1716]
Mr. Morley: The information requested is set out in the table.
| Permanent staff | Casual staff | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 1992 | 972 | 41 | 1,013 |
| March 1993 | 1,037 | 66 | 1,103 |
| March 1994 | 984 | 63 | 1,047 |
| March 1995 | 933 | 116 | 1,049 |
| March 1996 | 902 | 76 | 978 |
| March 1997 | 1,014 | 184 | 1,198 |
| March 1998 | 1,143 | 302 | 1,445 |
| March 1999 | 1,241 | 230 | 1,471 |
| March 2000 | 1,280 | 122 | 1,402 |
| March 2001 | (32)1,242 | (32)99 | (32)1,341 |
(32) March 2001 figures are not yet published
Note:
Figures are based on the staff in post as at 31 March and are published in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts
Light Lambs
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need for (a) a light lamb disposal scheme and (b) a light lamb storage scheme. [1692]
Mr. Morley: We estimate that there will be approximately 1.5 million light lambs (live lambs up to around 30 kgs in weight) born this year which, because of the foot and mouth disease-related export ban, cannot be exported to their traditional market outlets in Southern Europe. We are currently examining all possible options for dealing with the problems expected to arise as a result of the closure of export markets.
Foot and Mouth
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations have been made by the farming community as to the use of foreign vets in efforts to eradicate the foot and mouth crisis. [2178]
Mr. Morley: No representations have been made by the farming community as to the use of foreign vets in efforts to eradicate the foot and mouth crisis.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the possibility of foot and mouth disease being spread as a result of burning as a disposal method. [2194]
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Mr. Morley: Veterinary advice is that once rigor mortis set in (approximately 24 hours after slaughter) the consequent fall in PH rapidly destroys foot and mouth virus present in muscle tissue. Carcases are soaked in approved disinfectant to destroy any virus on external surfaces and the conditions of cremation are such that any virus surviving in other internal organs (such as lymph nodes or bone marrow) is likely to be destroyed before it could be dispersed from the pyre. Any risk of spread of the virus from a pyre is therefore considered to be minimal.
A collaborative study was carried out with input from the Institute for Animal Health (World Reference Laboratory for foot and mouth disease), the Met Office and DEFRA. The report was published in The Veterinary Record, 12 May 2001, pages 585–86 and concluded that disease outbreaks due to virus dispersion from pyres is unlikely to occur in general and that the data analysed showed no evidence that infection due to this cause has occurred.
Contributors to the publication "Spread of foot-and- mouth disease from the burning of animal carcases on open pyres" were John Gloster, Helen Hewson, David Mackay, Tony Garland, Alex Donaldson, Ian Mason, Richard Brown.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action will be taken against the officer in Monmouthshire who attempted to shoot sheep in a field at long range. [786]
Mr. Morley: The marksman concerned was contracted to Monmouthshire county council, who have sent a report to the National Assembly of Wales. The Assembly is considering whether further action may be required.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the need to protect hill flocks; and what plans there are to do so. [2558]
Mr. Morley: A number of measures have been taken to protect hill flocks while not jeopardising the primary objective of eradicating foot and mouth disease. Following consultation in April, the Government introduced a scheme on 3 May, providing for owners of rare breeds of sheep and goats and hefted sheep to apply for exemptions from the contiguous and 3 km culls. On 11 May exceptional arrangements were introduced for the movement of sheep, cattle and goats to common grazings in order to meet the problems affecting hill flocks. On 5 July special arrangements for sheep movement from common land to deal with shearing and other husbandry practices necessary for the welfare of sheep were also announced. We have also contributed to the establishment of the Heritage gene bank to ensure the retention of genes of sheep breeds indigenous to the UK.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many strains of the foot and mouth virus exist; whether vaccines offer protection against each; and if she will make a statement. [1982]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 4 July 2001]: There are seven serotypes of foot and mouth disease, namely: types O, A, C, South Africa type 1, South Africa type 2,
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South Africa type 3, and type Asia 1. Vaccination against one of the seven serotypes protects against that serotype but not necessarily against the other six serotypes.
Within the seven serotypes there are strains, some of which are sufficiently different from each other to provide little or no cross-protection. New strains of virus can and do arise in the field.
Vaccines can be manufactured to contain several serotypes and strains of virus appropriate to a given epidemiological situation.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to remove all farms from D notice status within Gloucestershire. [1670]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 3 July 2001]: A substantial amount of surveillance work has already been done in Gloucestershire, but more remains to be carried out. We hope to be able to lift the remaining Protection Zones in Gloucestershire in the next two to three weeks, provided that there are no further outbreaks.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals have been slaughtered as a result of foot and mouth disease. [2184]
Mr. Morley: As at 2 July, 3,458,000 animals had been compulsorily slaughtered as a result of foot and mouth disease in Great Britain.
This information can be found on the DEFRA foot and mouth disease website (www.defr.gov.uk/footandmouth/) and is updated daily.
- Source:
- DEFRA Disease Control System database—figures subject to revision as more data become available.
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals have been (a) slaughtered and (b) disposed of in each day during the foot and mouth crisis. [2189]
Mr. Morley: The table shows details of the number of animals compulsorily slaughtered and disposed of on each day of the foot and mouth crisis in Great Britain. As at 2 July the cumulative total number of animals slaughtered and disposed of were 3,458,000 and 3,441,000 respectively.
Source:
DEFRA Disease Control System database—figures subject to revision as more data become available
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David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the duration of the current foot and mouth disease outbreak. [2181]
Mr. Morley: Because of its nature, the Chief Veterinary Officer has always said that the outbreak would have a long tail. Stock owners can assist by carrying out biosecurity measures as recommended.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements are being made to compensate farmers whose livestock passed the 30-month deadline but could not be sent to abattoirs because of foot and mouth; and if she will make a statement. [2943]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 9 July 2001]: I appreciate that producers of clean cattle which cannot be marketed at under 30 months of age by virtue of foot and mouth disease movement restrictions will suffer a significant loss of return when such cattle are eventually sold into the over-30-month scheme (OTMS). We are alive to this problem and are considering what action might be appropriate in the context of further measures.
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Our first priority must, however, be to isolate and eradicate the disease, so that normal patterns of marketing can be restored. Once this has been done, we will be in a better position to determine the extent to which producers have been obliged to retain cattle which would have been sold at under 30 months of age but which had subsequently to go into the OTMS, and the extent of resultant losses.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will order a public inquiry into the current outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. [2094]
Mr. Morley: There will be an inquiry, when the disease is finally over. We have always said we are keen to learn the lessons from this outbreak. The precise nature and scope of the inquiry will as such be a matter for the Prime Minister.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many sheep in upland areas her Department has tested for foot and mouth; how many and what percentage carried the foot and mouth antibody; and if she will make a statement; [1489]
- (2) which flocks of upland sheep and at what locations in the UK have been tested for foot and mouth disease; and how many and what percentage were found to be positive. [1981]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 and 4 July 2001]: The Department does not categorise sheep flocks sampled for serological testing as "upland" or "lowland". There has, however, been specific testing of hefted sheep which are all found in upland areas. To date, 1,727 adult sheep in 29 hefted flocks have been sampled.
The distribution of these flocks by regional office is as follows:
- Carlisle: 14
- Exeter: 2
- Ayr: 11
- Leeds: 1
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Throughout England and Wales, 492,553 sheep and goats have been blood tested (as at 28 June). We have results from 471,746 animals (at 3 July) which indicate that 0.28 per cent. were antibody-positive.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many documented cases have been brought to her attention involving the slaughter of animals, as part of the programme of control of foot and mouth, which were carried out in inappropriate ways. [1491]
Mr. Morley [holding answer 2 July 2001]: No such cases have been brought to my attention since my right hon. Friend became Secretary of State in this Department. However, since the start of the foot and mouth outbreak six cases have been brought to the attention of Ministers, where it was alleged that animals had not been dealt with humanely. These incidents have been investigated and appropriate action taken.
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