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Mr. Touhig: On the last point, my advice is that four consignments left the farm. The recipients have been contacted and movement restrictions have been put in place in respect of those seed potatoes. I can only refer the hon. Lady to the point that I made earlier on compensation. There is no scheme at present, but I have no doubt that the farming unions and Mr. Morgan in particular will want to make representations at some stage. Ministers will obviously have to take account of that.
It is important that we recognise that the system that we have in place is working and is appropriate—an annual routine inspection discovered the outbreak. It is important that we recognise that that annual inspection is operating throughout the European Union, and it has proved to be effective in this case. It is important, as the hon. Lady says, that we in no way harm our farming community more than it has been harmed in recent years, by giving the impression that this is of the scale of the problems that the industry has faced in most recent times.
It is important that we do a proper assessment, which will take some weeks, of the extent of the outbreak. It is right to state that it needs to be properly assessed. The bacteria can exist for perhaps four or five seasons, in sacking, in barns and so forth. That is why we need to disinfect and to sterilise the places where these particular potatoes were stored. We are taking appropriate
measures. Possibly my Cardiff colleague the Assembly Minister will have some further information when he makes his statement tomorrow.
Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow): My hon. Friend will recognise that, without being selfish, those in the agricultural community in the Lothians, who send their considerable condolences to Welsh colleagues, are greatly concerned about the outbreak in Wales, because theirs is one of the major seed-producing areas of Europe. What does he think of the suggestion, of which I have given him notice, made by James Withers on behalf of the Scottish NFU that the Scots should use only Scottish seed for the moment, that high health regions should be introduced, and that imports of seed from Holland, Germany and Denmark should be at least considered and possibly forbidden? Does he agree with the Scottish NFU that the European Union ought to consider disease-free areas?
Mr. Touhig: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me notice of that question earlier today. Of course, in Scotland, there already exists a voluntary ban on importing seeds from the Netherlands, although that is not because of any case of ring rot in Scotland. The EU has protected area status for some diseases, and it is up to individual member states to prove that they are disease-free. Such status does not exist for ring rot at this time. I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be interested in my hon. Friend's remarks, and I will certainly ensure that his remarks are brought to her attention.
Mr. Robert Walter (North Dorset): I want to take issue with the Minister's last remarks, because restrictions in regard to ring rot are in place. If he looks at the DEFRA website, he will see that there are restrictions on potato imports from Germany. That site also says that ring rot is prevalent in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands, but we have had no restrictions on potatoes coming from the Netherlands since 1997. Given that Germany is next door to the Netherlands and we have restrictions on German imports, why have the Government not seen fit to place restrictions on imports from the Netherlands?
Mr. Touhig: I can only refer the hon. Gentleman to the points that I made earlier on how we have responded to this outbreak. I cannot, in fact, tell him that it would have been appropriate to place restrictions on imports from the Netherlands. It is for my colleagues at DEFRA to make a proper assessment. I have no doubt that they will take account of his remarks, and if appropriate action is needed, I am sure it will follow.
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff, West): May I tell my hon. Friend that, if any more compensation is to be handed out by the Government, there are greater priorities than this—for example, the Allied Steel and Wire workers? If more retrospective compensation is to be paid to the agricultural industry, which already receives massive public subsidy, does he agree that other priorities should be considered first?
Mr. Touhig: I am well aware that my hon. Friend and others campaign on behalf of the workers at Allied Steel and Wire, and I am sure that hon. Members of all parties have great sympathy with them, especially in light of the problems with their pensions. I can only tell my hon. Friend that no such compensation scheme exists at present. The Government are not suggesting that there should be such a scheme—I have simply indicated that I have no doubt that others will raise the issue in the coming weeks.
Mr. Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): The Minister said earlier that the annual inspection regime works. Well, self-evidently that is not the case, or there would not have been this outbreak. May I urge on him the need to look again at the imported material and to speak to members of the other Governments, because the problem is rife in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Greece? Should there not be a general moratorium until such time as we are confident that inspection procedures are equally good on the other side of the English channel? I do not say that as an anti-European person—I am not a Eurosceptic—but it is high time we took on the problem and dealt with it urgently. With respect to what the Minister said about containing the problem in Bwlch, the Government have got that part right, and I congratulate them on that.
Mr. Touhig: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his final remarks. It is good to see that we are at one on this approach. I know of his keen interest in rural matters, given the constituency that he represents, and we do not want this to get out of hand in terms of the public being afraid to come into the countryside or its being suggested that this is a greater problem than it is. I can confirm that the disease is found in north America, Canada, parts of the former Soviet Union, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands. To date, as far as I am aware, the Government have not considered banning the importation of seeds from those countries, but I have no doubt that, having read the Hansard report of today's urgent question, colleagues at DEFRA will consider the matter.
Mr. Douglas Hogg (Sleaford and North Hykeham): The Minister has told us that the source of this problem is imported seed potato from the Netherlands. To his knowledge, what steps are the Dutch authorities taking to address the problem on that farm of origin? What steps are the British Government taking to ensure that no disease is lurking in UK farms that may also have received imports from the affected farm in the Netherlands?
Mr. Touhig: We have been in touch with the Dutch authorities on this matter to trace the supplier of this particular seed. My DEFRA colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter, raised the matter with his Dutch counterpart this morning, and ongoing discussions will take place on the matters that the right hon. and learned Gentleman raises, to determine whether other steps are needed and are appropriate. I cannot give the right hon. and learned Gentleman any more up-to-date information at present, but I am sure that this matter
will figure in DEFRA questions later this week, and that the Secretary of State and her Ministers will have more to say about it.
Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome): I commend the Minister on the steps that have been taken to contain the present outbreak. Does he agree, however, that dealing effectively with potential epidemics of both animal and plant diseases require a robust and regularly reviewed contingency plan? Can he tell me when the contingency plan for potato diseases was last reviewed and whether he will place a copy in the Library?
Mr. Touhig: He's got me on that one, Mr. Speaker. I cannot tell the hon. Gentleman that, but I will certainly make inquiries, write to him and place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): The potato crop is important not just for Wales but for the entire United Kingdom, with many millions of pounds' worth of potatoes being sold. We very much hope that the disease has been contained to this particular farm, but the Minister has mentioned a number of other countries in addition to Holland where this disease lurks. Indeed, I suspect that it is not only from Holland that we import potato seed. What extra action are the Government taking to ensure that any potato seeds coming from any other European Union countries, Russia, the Czech Republic, or other countries that he has mentioned, such as Canada, are not bringing the disease into the United Kingdom?
Mr. Touhig: I have no doubt that my colleagues at DEFRA have been reviewing the matter, and as I have said in answer to other questions, we will clearly be looking at imports of seeds from the countries where this disease is prevalent and where there have been recent outbreaks, in mainland Europe, north America and elsewhere. I have no doubt that at some stage that will lead to a review of whether we need to take action to prevent the importation of those seeds, and I am sure that the Government will then take the appropriate action.
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