They are also grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for telling them that they can go ahead and graze cattle on set-aside land and for the fact that MAFF will fight their corner if any questions are asked about that in Europe. Column 108 I want to raise one or two small, but specific points that are pertinent to my constituents. I hope that, if the Under-Secretary cannot deal with them now, he will at least discuss them with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The first point relates to ports. Already during this outbreak, foot and mouth has been identified at several sites on the United Kingdom mainland and in Northern Ireland.
Farmers have considerable concerns about vehicles moving from Ireland to the United Kingdom.
Vehicles leaving ports such as Rosslare are currently disinfected by the Irish Ministry of Agriculture and Food, at its expense. However, port operators have discretion over whether to disinfect vehicles that enter the United Kingdom from Ireland. Farmers are anxious that MAFF should take on board that important matter, perhaps making the disinfection of vehicles mandatory, rather than discretionary, at the expense of the port authorities. I want to make a special plea for Pembrokeshire's farmers, who take a reasonable attitude to maturing their cattle. We have heard today about direct costs and consequential losses.