Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish documents held by her Department relating to the reasons for the introduction of the Sheep Scab (Revocation) Order 1992.

The Sheep Scab (Revocation) Order 1992 revoked The Sheep Scab (National Dip) Order 1990, the Sheep Scab (National Dip) (Amendment) Order 1991 and the Sheep Scab Order 1992. This consequently ended the compulsory annual sheep dipping requirement.

The Government released information explaining why the decision was taken to end compulsory dipping, and the conclusions of the VPC reviews of organophosphate sheep dips at the time in May of this year. I sent a letter, explaining this, to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and this was copied to Tom Rigby of the Sheep Dip Sufferers Support Group.