Disease bill may cause epidemics

11 December 2001



Disease bill may cause epidemics

By FWi staff

THE Animal Health Bill could create epidemics much worse than foot-and-mouth disease, a leading vet has warned.

Roger Green, president of the Royal Society of Veterinary Surgeons, claims the bill will only serve to antagonise farmers.

Producers are the people ministers need to assist in any disease outbreak, argues Mr Green in a letter to The Daily Telegraph.

By riling them, ministers would encourage late reporting of disease that could make the foot-and-mouth epidemic very small in comparison.

Mr Green also claims that the bill contains many unsupported scientific judgementsand raises ethical issues.

The bill, which receives its third reading the House of Commons on Thursday (13 December), has been condemned in some quarters as draconian.

Under it, government officials could apply to court to enter land or property to slaughter animals without farmers or other parties being present.

It also makes it a criminal offence, punishable by a six-month jail sentence, to refuse to assist inspectors in slaughtering an animal.

In an editorial The Telegraph calls the bill one of the most illiberal pieces of legislation to emerge from this government.

• Vets join farmers against animal Bill, FWi, 30 November 2001
• Tenant concern at animal health bill, FWi, 12 November 2001
• Battle brews over Animal Health Bill, FWi, 09 November 2001
• Disease bill reeks of jackboot tactics, FWi, 01 November 2001
• New laws to fight farm diseases, FWi, 31 October 2001
  
• The Daily Telegraph, 11 December 2001, page 4 and 23