Written question asked by Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 22 January 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 24 January 2008. It was answered by Jonathan Shaw (Labour) on Thursday, 31 January 2008 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Swine Fever

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information is made available by his Department for pig farmers on the prevention of swine fever.

Answer: DEFRA has published fact sheets which include information on how to recognise the signs of classical swine fever (CSF) and guidance on biosecurity for prevention of the introduction and spread of disease. These are available in hard copy and are distributed at events such as livestock markets and agricultural shows. The fact sheets would also be issued to livestock keepers within CSF protection and surveillance zones should zones be imposed in an outbreak. The fact sheets, along with further comprehensive information for farmers on both the disease and our control policy, can be found on the CSF pages of the DEFRA website. In addition, there is regular engagement between the Government, industry and stakeholders from the pig industry to ensure a common understanding of the risks and the appropriate outbreak response.

Secondary information