Responding to the news that the Government has finally decided to close down footpaths and bridle ways in the 3km foot and mouth exclusion zone in Surrey, Peter Ainsworth said:.
“David Cameron raised this issue with Hilary Benn’s office yesterday morning. While we welcome the fact that common-sense has finally prevailed and the Government has decided to close the footpaths in the 3km exclusion zone in Surrey, it is surprising that it has taken them so long to do so.
“We understand the importance of keeping the wider countryside open but the Government’s should have immediately done everything possible in the affected areas to prevent the disease spreading further.”
Notes to Editors
Please find below a copy of the letter sent from Peter Ainsworth to Hilary Benn yesterday on the issue of footpaths and fallen stock:
Dear Hilary,
Footpath access within the 3km Protection Zone/Fallen stock
As you know, we have been supportive of the actions taken by the Government to date in attempting to contain and eradicate the recent outbreak of Foot & Mouth disease. It seems clear that several of the most important lessons arising from the aftermath of the 2001 outbreak have been learnt.
However, I would be grateful if you might consider two points which have arisen from recent discussions with the farming community.
There are serious concerns amongst farmers in the vicinity of the infected area, within the 3 km protection zone, that footpaths remain open. Whilst it is important to minimise the loss of public access, and to keep the countryside at large open. I feel that it would be prudent to reconsider the approach you are currently adopting within the 3 km zone. This would help reassure farmers who are understandably extremely anxious about the risk of infection being spread. There has been at least one case of a farmer inside the 3 km zone being asked by trading standards officers to remove signs he had erected himself asking the public to refrain from entering his land. This has only heightened concerns around the present access arrangements.
The second point concerns fallen stock. I know that you, together with the Chief Veterinary Officer, are looking at possible measures to alleviate the potential problems arising from the present inability of farmers to remove animals that die on their land. Whilst I understand that Defra are undertaking the removal of fallen stock from within the protection zones, in the rest of the country there are no measures in place to deal with this problem. I would therefore ask whether, as a matter of urgency, you might consider permitting, on a temporary basis, the on-farm burial of fallen stock outside the protection zones. This would help avert a potential health hazard.
I look forward to hearing from you on these points.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Ainsworth MP
Member of Parliament for East Surrey
Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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