Foot and Mouth Disease Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lizzi Collinge
Main Page: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)Department Debates - View all Lizzi Collinge's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Foot and Mouth Disease
Lizzi Collinge Excerpts(3 days, 10 hours ago)
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Daniel Zeichner
I am always happy to speak to Lord Curry, who brings huge expertise and knowledge.
I will just say to the hon. Gentleman that there was no delay—essentially, as soon as we were informed, we put the appropriate processes in place, and staff at border control points were issued instructions to hold goods at the border. Everything was done as quickly as possible.
I hear the hon. Gentleman’s point about our relationship with the German Government. I know the German Minister personally, and I spoke to him yesterday. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are getting every co-operation needed from the German Government.
Lizzi Collinge (Morecambe and Lunesdale) (Lab)
In 2001, I lived in north Cumbria and I will never, ever forget the sight of burning livestock in my friends’ fields. Can the Minister assure me that my farmers in Morecambe and Lunesdale, who by and large are livestock farmers, will never have to face that terrible scene again and that we will do everything we possibly can to ensure that foot and mouth does not spread to our country?
Daniel Zeichner
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her comments and for her account of the effect the disease had on her constituents. The purpose of my response to the question today is to give reassurance to people that we have very, very high quality officials working very, very hard to make sure we do everything we can to prevent such an outbreak happening again.