DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (75/08) issued by
The Government News Network on 11 March 2008
Environment
Secretary Hilary Benn today welcomed a report into last
summer's Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
Foot and Mouth Disease 2007: A Review and Lessons Learned was
written by Dr Iain Anderson, who carried out a review into the
handling of the 2001 FMD outbreak.
It commends the Government's overall handling of the 2007
outbreak, stating that "many of the lessons identified in the
2002 report had been acted upon and performance, taken as a whole,
was much improved." It concludes that "on balance, the
positive easily outweighs the negative", but it does identify
deficiencies that need to be addressed.
Responding in a written ministerial statement, Mr Benn said that
the Government would carefully consider the report's
recommendations and work with partners to decide what further
steps were needed to ensure that we are as prepared as possible to
prevent and control animal disease outbreaks in the future.
Thanking Dr Anderson and his team for their work, Mr Benn said:
"Many of Dr Anderson's recommendations encourage us to
build on the improvements that have already been made; for example
in strengthening communications, assessing and managing risk and
exercising and testing contingency plans. I agree that even when
things have gone well, we can always do better in future.
"As well as finding much progress compared to 2001, Dr
Anderson's review also points to things that didn't go
right and where further action is recommended.
"In relation to Pirbright and the Institute for Animal
Health, we have already taken action. The Government accepted all
of the recommendations in Sir Bill Callaghan's independent
review of the regulatory framework for the handling of animal
pathogens published in December 2007, including that
responsibility for the regulation of animal pathogens should
transfer to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
"Defra is working closely with the HSE and other
departments, to implement all three phases of the work recommended
by Sir Bill Callaghan. The formal legal transfer of SAPO
enforcement and inspection responsibilities is well underway and
is nearing completion.
"In addition, following the review of biosecurity at
Pirbright conducted by Professor Brian Spratt in August 2007, the
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
asked Sir John Beringer to undertake a review of the governance,
funding and risk management of the Institute for Animal Health.
Sir John is due to report to the BBSRC in April 2008.
"We now know that when the decision was taken to lift
restrictions on 8 September 2007 the FMD outbreak was not over. As
Dr Anderson's report states, the decision was based on a risk
assessment that took into account all available epidemiological
and veterinary knowledge, and the requirements set down by the FMD
Directive had been met. The mandatory 30 days without any further
outbreaks had occurred and based on previous experience, there was
no reason to expect any further outbreaks of the disease. The
decision was taken with the agreement and participation of the
European Commission and other Member States.
"I therefore believe that the decision taken at the time was
appropriate in the light of what we then knew. We will however
look carefully at how we communicate disease freedom, where there
is always some degree of uncertainty, in future.
"A further area of concern raised in Dr Anderson's
report was the performance of the information and data management
systems that are needed during a disease outbreak. We have not
made the progress we would have liked in this area despite
considerable efforts. However, as part of Animal Health's
Business Reform Programme a new information and data management
system is being implemented. This will deliver improvements
between now and 2011."
Mr Benn stressed that the fact that the World Animal Health
Organisation (OIE) has now officially declared that the UK has
regained freedom from FMD without vaccination, was the result of
co-operation and partnership between Defra, Animal Health and
local authorities, in addition to delivery partners and the
farming and food chain industries.
Mr Benn said:
"I would like to pay tribute to all of those organisations
who gave their time and experience and were an integral part of
the response to the disease.
"Farmers, as well as Government, are well placed to take
effective action to prevent the spread of disease, and that is why
we are continuing to work closely with the farming sector and
others on responsibility and cost sharing.
"The aim is to ensure that both Government and others have
contingency plans in place to deal with disease outbreaks."
He added that even when confined to a small number of infected
premises in a limited geographical area, as in 2007, the impact of
an FMD outbreak can be far-reaching on the livestock sector, the
food chain and the wider community.
Notes to editors:
1. Foot and Mouth Disease 2007: A Review and Lessons Learned can
be accessed at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/fmdreview
2. Dr Anderson and his team were asked to conduct a review of
the Government's handling of the FMD 2007 outbreak.
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