Government set to relax virus controls


17 December 2001



Government set to relax virus controls


By Alistair Driver

FOOT-AND-MOUTH controls will be relaxed in February, providing there are no more outbreaks before then, the government has promised.

This was announced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs junior minister Elliot Morley in the House of Commons on Monday (December 17).

Mr Morley said that an interim movement regime is due to come into place in mid-February.

Details of the changes will not be released until Tuesday, but they are likely to affect livestock markets and will make it easier to move animals.

Mr Morley told MPs that he welcomed the fact that there had been no new cases since the end of September.

I hope it will not be long before the country can, with reasonable confidence, be regarded as free of disease, he said.

But we still need to maintain precautions against the recovery of the disease.

This will be recognised in the interim foot-and-mouth movement regime which, assuming all goes well, we hope to introduce in mid-February.

The minister said the regime was put together after consultation between Defra officials and the livestock industry.


Foot-and-mouth – confirmed outbreaks

Foot-and-mouth – FWi coverage

Recovery plan – Full coverage


See more