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Foot and Mouth
06/08/2007
Representatives from key livestock and meat industry organisations across Scotland gathered in Edinburgh today to be briefed on the foot and mouth outbreak.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
"Livestock farming is hugely important to rural and communities across Scotland and to all the other groups that play key roles in the process that takes our food from the farm gate to the plate.
"So I am determined that we keep everybody up to speed with developments and measures the Scottish government is already taking in response to the outbreak to protect Scotland's interests.
"This meeting also gave me the opportunity to hear at first hand what concerns they are.
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"In the course of today I have had further discussions with Hilary Benn, the UK Environment Secretary. In addition, I have spoken to the British Retail Consortium who assured me that supermarkets remain committed to Scottish suppliers.
"We have sent 12 Scottish-based vets and other Animal Health agency support staff down to Surrey to help colleagues in dealing with the outbreak.
"We have brought in extra support for the Scottish government's farmers' helpline to deal with the level of calls.
"And we have taken sensible measures in Scotland responding to concerns to relax the movement ban so that cows can be milked or have urgent treatment and for disposal of carcasses on farms.
"It is critical to maintain vigilance and apply the precautionary principle until the full facts are known.
"However, we want to be ready to respond quickly when we have clear information that the outbreak is contained so that we can get this vital Scottish industry up and running again. We are working flat out to achieve this.
"The first stage would be relaxation of movements to take animals to abattoirs for slaughter.
"Depending on the outcome of the ongoing disease investigations, I am confident that this relaxation will be possible in the next few days - Wednesday at the earliest.
"And I would also wish by the end of this week to relax controls on the islands - to allow movement within individual islands and shows to go ahead, but not movement between islands and to the mainland. Restrictions will continue to be reviewed in the light of developments."
Organisations represented at the briefing included the National Farmers Union Scotland; National Sheep Association, Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, Meat Hygiene Service, Scottish Beef Cattle Association, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Road Haulage Association, British Retail Consortium, National Beef Association of Scotland, and Scottish Rural Property and Business Association.