British Govt denies plan to step up FMD culls

The Ministry of Agriculture in Britain has denied it was planning a big increase in the foot-and-mouth slaughter regime, after Tory leader William Hague suggested details of a new cull were being held back until after the election.

Maff took the unusual step for a Whitehall department during an election campaign of issuing a statement responding to concerns raised by one of the opposition parties.

In a hustings speech in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Mr Hague demanded the Government ‘‘come clean’’ about its plans for dealing with foot-and-mouth once the election was over.

‘‘There are rumours about mass culls after election day, police leave being cancelled, haulage contractors being taken on,’’ he said.

‘‘They do owe it to the people of the countryside to come clean about what is happening.’’

In its statement Maff said: ‘‘There are no plans for large-scale increases in the slaughter regime and no planning of a strategic or practical nature for widespread culling of animals although, of course, the Ministry keeps under constant review its policies in the light of new information’’.

The statement acknowledged that there was still a ‘‘great deal of work’’ to be done before the outbreak was finally dealt with, particularly in the Settle-Clitheroe area.

It added: ‘‘Any planning that is being done is specifically to address the current situation and as a contingency for any new outbreaks. It does not indicate any plans for fundamental changes in the culling regime.’’

Earlier, the National Farmers’ Union also said that it had ‘‘no hard evidence’’ to back up the persistent rumours around the countryside of an impending new cull.