The Welsh Assembly Government will continue to press the Treasury to provide an aid package for farmers hit by foot and mouth restrictions.

Rural affairs minister Elin Jones told the recent NFU Cymru autumn conference at Builth Wells that the UK government had a moral responsibility to help businesses damaged by the escape of virus from one of its research establishments. And she even wished the NFU good luck with its legal action in search of compensation.

But it was a fact that the coalition administration in Cardiff did not have funds for the sort of economic support packages offered to English and Scottish farmers, she added.

To provide £6 a ewe would mean finding £27m, or the equivalent of total Welsh less favoured area support. There was no way such a sum could come from cash allocated to the Welsh assembly.

“At one time we thought £6.5m was on its way from the Treasury, and the First Minister and I are fully committed to continuing the fight to get central funds.”

Ms Jones said she and her civil servants were very aware that they were still drawing their full salaries while farmers had seen their incomes cut due to the leak of virus from Pirbright.