Minister Zeichner's opening statement on Food and Mouth Disease
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that as we know can have a significant economic impact and a truly devastating effect on farming and rural communities when outbreaks occur, as we know from past history.
Now I can assure the House The UK is currently free of FMD and has been since 2007.
But following the confirmation on the 10 January of FMD in the German state of Brandenburg, Defra has taken rapid action to protect the UK including suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU.
I can assure the House the Government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation's farmers from the risk posed by foot and mouth. Risk levels to the UK we have increased to medium and last night the Chief Veterinary Officer and I spoke directly with the Federal Minister and his officials.
The Government has taken decisive and immediate action. The import of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany has been stopped to protect farmers and protect their livelihoods. We will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads and I can inform the house that the Chief Veterinary Officer has this morning confirmed that while Germany's surveillance is ongoing, they have not detected any further cases.
FMD guidance is available on GOV.UK and livestock farmers are urged to be extra vigilant and report any suspect disease to APHA immediately and the UK Chief Veterinary Officer is also urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD. I reiterate there are no cases in the UK currently.
I would also reassure the house that FMD poses no risk to human or food safety, but is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals, livestock keepers should therefore be absolutely rigorous about their biosecurity.
The Government is absolutely focused on responding to the animal disease threats we face and protecting animal health and welfare. Upholding high biosecurity standards is paramount to protecting and promoting food production and food safety, for both animal and human, and to support our economy and trade.
That is why we have invested a further £200 million investment in the UK's main research and laboratory testing facilities at Weybridge to bolster protection against animal disease.
Whist we stand ready to protect our livestock from the threat of FMD and other exotic disease we also offer our support to our European neighbours as they face this threat to their livestock, farming and rural communities.
I can assure the house the Government will be decisive and take the necessary action to protect our farmers from FMD.
