CONSERVATIVE
New Forest East

MAFF – FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - 03 May 2001

MAFF – FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - 03 May 2001

Dr Julian Lewis: The Minister has reiterated his commitment to MAFF being as open as possible about the progress of the disease. My understanding is that MAFF has been publishing the total number of outbreak cases on a constituency-by-constituency basis, but so far it has not been publishing the lists of the locations of those outbreaks, although it could easily do so because, obviously, it has those at its fingertips in order to arrive at the totals. Does he accept that it is important that that information should be published, particularly if there is a general election campaign going on, when hon. Members will not be able to question the Minister directly on the progress of the disease?