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Vol. 724 Thursday No. 102 27 January 2011 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Introductions: Lord Magan of Castletown, Lord Grade of Yarmouth, Baroness Jenkin of Kennington Questions Defra: Disease Outbreaks Zimbabwe Airlines: Snow and Ice Telephone hacking Business of the House Timing of Debates Business of the House Motion to Agree Armed Forces: Post-service Welfare Debate Tourism Debate Defence: Military Covenant Question for Short Debate Written Statements Written Answers For column numbers see back page £3·50 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. The bound volumes also will be sent to those Peers who similarly notify their wish to receive them. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. 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THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. WEEKLY INFORMATION BULLETIN, compiled by the House of Commons, gives details of past and forthcoming business, the work of Committees and general information on legislation, etc. Single copies: £1·50. Annual subscription: £53·50. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2011, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ 1075 Introductions[27 JANUARY 2011] Defra: Disease Outbreaks 1076 The Countess of Mar: My Lords, I thank the Minister House of Lords for that reply. Does he appreciate that this is the 10th year since the foot and mouth epidemic in 2001 Thursday, 27 January 2011. and that Exercise Silver Birch seemed to demonstrate that we have not progressed much further with, for 10.45 am example, the validation of field gate tests and the acceptance of vaccination by abattoirs? The excuse Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Hereford. given by the trade is, apparently, that the public do not like vaccination, but the public eat vaccinated meat all the time. What is being done to improve the validation Introduction: Lord Magan of Castletown of field-side tests, blood tests that distinguish between vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals and farm gate 10.55 am tests? George Morgan Magan, Esquire, having been created Lord Henley: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baron Magan of Castletown, of Kensington in the Countess for reminding us that it is only 10 years since Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, was introduced the last major outbreak of foot and mouth, which she, and took the oath, supported by Lord Northbrook and I and many others remember well. I am also grateful Lord Howard of Rising, and signed an undertaking to to her for mentioning Exercise Silver Birch, which has abide by the Code of Conduct. recently concluded. It was a fairly major exercise organised by Defra, the devolved Administrations and many others, in which more than 600 people took part Introduction: Lord Grade of Yarmouth to look at how a foot and mouth outbreak might affect England, Scotland and Wales. The important 11 am thing to remember about it is that it will report in due course. I hope that lessons can be learnt from the Michael Ian Grade, Esquire, CBE, having been created report when it is published in, we hope, March of this Baron Grade of Yarmouth, of Yarmouth in the County year. That will probably be when I can comment in of Isle of Wight, was introduced and took the oath, more detail on the further points that the noble Countess supported by Baroness Sharples and Baroness Buscombe, made, which are very valid at this stage. and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct. Lord Plumb: Does the Minister agree that contingency planning and funding are becoming more important, as exotic diseases will probably come into this country Introduction: Baroness Jenkin of through greater globalisation and climate change? Does Kennington he accept that, in the ongoing situation, there should be more contingency planning to deal with outbreaks 11.05 am of TB? We are still losing something like 100 cattle a day through tuberculosis. I accept that much is being done, but is Defra satisfied with the efficacy of the Anne Caroline Jenkin, having been created Baroness vaccine for badgers? Jenkin of Kennington, of Hatfield Peverel in the County of Essex, was introduced and took the oath, supported by Lord Jenkin of Roding and Baroness Shephard of Lord Henley: My Lords, my noble friend is right to Northwold, and signed an undertaking to abide by the point to the importance of contingency planning, Code of Conduct. rather than contingency funding. The important thing is that we plan for these situations. I can give an assurance that Defra has planned and will continue to Defra: Disease Outbreaks plan and test for all diseases. I also underline his point Question about the increasing risk of exotic diseases, which is one possible consequence of climate change. As regards his specific question about the efficacy of the badger 11.11 am vaccine, I can give an assurance that laboratory studies Asked By The Countess of Mar have demonstrated that the vaccination of badgers by injection with BCG significantly reduces the progression, To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency severity and excretion of TB infection after experimental funding the Department for Environment, Food challenge. However, we still have a little way to go on and Rural Affairs has for disease outbreaks. these matters before we can make such vaccines more widely available. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, is it not (Lord Henley): My Lords, no specific funding is set true that our reaction to the last foot and mouth aside for disease outbreaks. However, we do a great outbreak was almost entirely dictated by Brussels? If deal of work preparing for disease outbreaks to prevent the common agricultural policy still controls such incursions and to minimise impact in the event of an matters, how can we make independent plans for any outbreak. contingency funding? 1077 Defra: Disease Outbreaks[LORDS] Zimbabwe 1078 Lord Henley: My Lords, I am talking about Zimbabwe contingency planning, rather than contingency funding. Question However, I give an assurance that Defra will continue to make the appropriate plans in these matters, on 11.19 am which we are not totally dictated to by the European Asked By Lord St John of Bletso Union, despite what the noble Lord says. To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I am they are taking to assist the Government of Zimbabwe pleased to hear the Minister speak about contingency to expedite the processes enabling free and fair planning, but clearly different diseases need different elections under the new constitution. kinds of plans. I would like some assurance that the different plans for the different diseases will be sufficiently The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth straightforward and easily implemented if they should Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): My Lords, the be needed. Secondly, will there be sufficient funding to United Kingdom has contributed to UN funding of maintain UK-based food production, which is so vital, the constitutional review process, with a referendum should there unfortunately be a disease outbreak disaster due to be held in the summer of this year. We are also again in the future? working with international partners, particularly the Southern African Development Community, on a process to seek to ensure that elections, when held, will not see Lord Henley: I thank the right reverend Prelate for a repeat of the violence of 2008. The prospects for his question. I remind him that planning is the most credible elections will be greater if sufficient time is important thing, rather than funding. If funding is a allowed for important reforms to be implemented. problem, that would be an occasion, as I think all noble Lords know, when it might be appropriate to go Lord St John of Bletso: My Lords, I am grateful to to the Treasury to ask for more funds. I will not the Minister for his reply. Does he agree that, while comment on that in advance. As regards his question there have been considerable advances in the revival of about the possibility of food shortages, I do not think the economy in Zimbabwe, it is vital that there is, for that that is a problem at this stage but, again, it is the future sustainability of the country, a clearer political something that Defra will take into account.