Aid still not reaching disease victims

23 May 2001



Aid still not reaching disease victims

By FWi staff

GOVERNMENT aid is not reaching desperate rural businesses hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis, warns the Country Land and Business Association.

Many businesses suffering from restrictions, red tape and loss of revenue do not realise help is available, claims the rural business lobbying group.

And unless agencies become proactive and go out into communities, many rural businesses could go bust before the 7 June General Election, says the CLA.

This comes as fears grow that a second wave of foot-and-mouth disease has hit northern England, as 100,000 animals from about 100 farms are slaughtered.

Seventeen cases of the disease have been confirmed around Settle, North Yorkshire, in recent days, leading to extra vets and staff being drafted in.

CLA president Anthony Bosanquet, who sits on environment minister Michael Meachers Rural Relief Taskforce described aid as “chaotic”.

“The fact is that a great many businesses do not know what funds are available nor how to go about claiming them.”

Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, Business Links and the Regional Development Authorities must reach out to businesses, he said.

A Department of the Environment spokesman said Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue had already helped more than 7000 businesses.

More than 51 million had been deferred in tax, VAT and National Insurance payments, he said.

Earlier this week, a British Chambers of Commerce survey found that less than one in 10 affected businesses have sought to take advantage of government relief measures.

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph reports that the Ministry of Agriculture is using the Data Protection Act to conceal the extent of the cull.

Even Parliamentary candidates are being refused statistical information on culls on farms neighbouring confirmed outbreaks in their own constituencies.

David Curry, former chairman of the Select Committee for Agriculture, seeking re-election as Tory MP for Skipton and Ripon, was unable to obtain details.

Mr Curry said local officials have been told not to divulge these details because it would infringe the Data Protection Act.

• Foot-and-mouth victims ignore help, FWi, 21 May, 2001
• Daily Telegraph, 23 May, 2001, page 15
  

Farm e-Business Survey. Click here to enter and win 100 Amazon vouchers