MAFF accused of strong-arm tactics
28 April 2000
MAFF accused of strong-arm tactics
By Alistair Driver
PIG farmers have accused the Ministry of Agriculture of resorting to bullying tactics in a bid to avoid facing a judicial review over its handling of the pig crisis.
MAFF wrote to solicitors for the British Pig Industry Support Group last month querying how it will pay its costs if it loses the case on 7-8 June.
It estimated that its own costs could be up to 40,000 and sought assurance that the group or individuals within BPISG could cover those costs.
Despite assurances from BPISGs solicitors that there was no problem over costs, MAFF replied revealing it had already tried to block the trials progress.
MAFF officials threatened to raise the issue at the hearing and seek an order for security of costs against everyone mentioned in the affidavit.
BPISGs solicitors hit back by pointing out that the judge who gave the go ahead for the case had found no problem in BPISGs status.
They also criticised the decision to seek security of costs, saying this should have been done at permission stage.
BPISG spokeswoman Meryl Ward accepted that she and others could be forced to pay costs if the case is lost.
But she said she was more interested in why MAFF has made such an issue over what she claimed was a relatively small amount of money for the Ministry. FWi
She said: “I think they are trying everything they can to relieve the pressure they are under by trying to stop the case going ahead.”
A win would force MAFF to make the state aid application to compensate producers for costs designed to minimise BSE.