asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken to improve the warning and control systems against foot and mouth disease since the last outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Despite the lapse of time since earlier outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, the procedures applied to the 1981 outbreak worked well. The Ministry has conducted a further intensive review of working arrangements and a number of detailed modifications have been made to take account of the experience gained.