Foot and Mouth Disease and Bluetongue

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 5:10 pm on 8 October 2007.

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Photo of Lord Taylor of Holbeach Lord Taylor of Holbeach Shadow Minister, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs 5:10, 8 October 2007

My Lords, I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement made by the Secretary of State, Mr Benn, in another place earlier today, and I thank him for the courtesy of allowing me a preview of it. Before passing observations on what the Minister has said, I must declare an interest as a member of our family agriculture and horticultural business. Although we have some grazing, the sheep and cattle are not ours, but owned and cared for by a neighbour.

First, I should like to acknowledge the work of the vets, officials, farmers and their staffs involved in the work of tracing the sources of the two outbreaks and, we hope, controlling the situation. I want to say how much I sympathise with the farmers affected by these outbreaks, and I am glad that they have been thoroughly and speedily investigated, and that reports have been produced expeditiously. I also welcome the specific measures announced by the Government to ease the situation, however inadequate they are to meet the losses suffered by the livestock industry.

I am glad that the earlier attempts to spin the blame for the foot and mouth disease outbreak on to Merial have been discredited. It seems to me that the staff at Pirbright have tried over some years to draw attention to the situation that led to this outbreak and that the blame must be laid solely at the door of Defra. The Minister has said that the investigations all show that the drainage system was the most likely route for the escape of the virus. Can the Minister comment on whether the lessons of Pirbright will be carried through the Government's establishments? Experience tells me that if matters are arranged in a certain way on one government complex, they are likely to be duplicated in others. Can he assure me that all facilities which deal with material harmful to people, animals or the environment will be checked to ensure that any similar drainage systems are replaced as quickly as possible in order to separate storm water from effluent that may be contaminated? Is he able to report to the House which establishments pose such risks and what action has been taken?

I welcome the report from Professor Spratt, published on 31 August. Professor Spratt has not minced his words. Point five of his overview describes the,

"old, poorly maintained and defective effluent system".

Point six refers to the,

"poor state of the IAH laboratories, and the effluent pipes".

Those comments are summed up in point 33:

"There has been concern for several years that the effluent pipes were old and needed replacing but, after much discussion between IAH, Merial and Defra, money had not been made available".

In earlier times, I was involved with horticultural establishments not unlike the Institute of Animal Health which lies at the centre of this crisis. The new build is impressive, the technology is first-class, but maintenance is frequently considered a Cinderella. The Treasury induces a penny-pinching approach to the proper maintenance of public assets. What private company would have ignored the connection between biohazardous waste and the rainwater system? When this was made known, how is it that the Government could consider it more important to argue over who would pay to put it right than recognising the danger and doing something about it?

The Minister referred also to the bluetongue outbreak. This second body-blow to the farming industry is capable of being far more damaging than the largely contained FMD outbreak. I hope that we will see Defra contain bluetongue as effectively and as efficiently, and ease the restrictions as quickly, as it did with foot and mouth. Newark livestock market is not far off 100 miles from the centre of the outbreak of this second crippling disease. It finds itself, however, only 100 metres within the zone and is, as such, effectively closed. I cannot see that this is in the public interest. I hope the Minister will attend to this issue without delay.

Are there any proposals to compensate farmers with animals afflicted with bluetongue, which could, if the Belgian experience is anything to go by, be the cause of many cattle and sheep deaths in the future, with huge economic consequences?

The sad story of this summer's FMD outbreak is one of a series of disasters for Defra and one of huge consequences. It is no exaggeration to say that people's lives have been ruined by Defra's negligence. If this sounds angry, I am but reflecting the greater anger that rural communities feel at this whole episode. Where is the shame that the Government should be expressing at their part in this unnecessary tragedy for British livestock farmers? Not even an apology appears in the Statement.