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Peter Soulsby (Leicester
South, Lab)
My right hon. Friend will agree that there
have been some astonishing scare stories and headlines
in the press about avian influenza. She would probably
also agree that, as a result, there has been widespread
fear and public confusion, in about equal measure,
about these issues. Does she agree that, although
such scare stories might sell newspapers, it is vital
that her Department undertake a concerted and vigorous
public education effort to increase public understanding
of avian influenza and to draw clear distinctions
between that and potential pandemic influenza among
humans—related but very different issues? The
public need to understand both those relationships
and those differences.
Margaret Beckett (Secretary
of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs)
My hon. Friend is right. It is important
that the public get a clearer idea of the significance
of avian flu and the distinction. We are making information
available in the House for all Members—I hope
it is already here, but if not, it soon will be—with
an indication of all the steps we are taking. I will
not bore the House with all of it, but guidance on
biosecurity and surveillance has gone out to a range
of organisations and to vets. Advertisements have
been placed in trade publications and so on, and there
is the leaflet that we issued a few days ago for individual
poultry keepers. I take my hon. Friend's point that
all these measures are aimed at those who have a particular
interest in the trade or those who are poultry keepers.
It is important for all of us to do everything we
can to get across information to the general public.
I was a little alarmed at
an exchange that I heard a few days ago, in which
the prime question that seemed to spring to the mind
of the questioner was, "Is there someone who
is to blame for this?" Let us bear it in mind
that the situation is of concern and the Government
are taking steps to deal with it, but it is important
that the public understand that what we are seeing
is something of a development in avian influenza that
we do not in any sense take lightly and are considering
very seriously, but which is more of a risk to birds
than it is to people. |