12pm update

Slaughter backlog is slashed

Special report: foot and mouth

Staff and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Friday April 20 2001 12.30 BST

Downing Street today revealed new statistics suggesting that the backlogs of animals awaiting slaughter, and of slaughtered animals awaiting disposal, are significantly smaller than previously reported.

An enhanced reporting effort was being made to ensure that the figures more accurately and promptly reflect the intensified slaughter and disposal programme. It showed that in Cumbria, where at one point 200,000 carcasses were awaiting disposal, that figure is now closer to 10,000.

Similarly, the number of animals awaiting slaughter in the county - being visited today by the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon - once at 89,000, is now close to zero.

In Scotland and the north-east there is no discernible disposal backlog; while in Worcestershire it is said to be small and reducing. In Wales, the disposal backlog has fallen from 30,000 to around 4,000, and the slaughter backlog down to 10,000 from 90,000.

The disposal backlog in Devon, however, remains significant.

A Downing Street spokesman noted that there is "no room for complacency" and added: "We will continue to bear down totally on the disease in our determination to contain and eradicate it."

The announcement came against the backdrop of encouraging news on progress in combating the disease. The government's chief scientist yesterday declared the epidemic was now "fully under control".

David King said the policy of mass culling infected animals as well as healthy livestock had been successful, that the countryside had seen a significant drop in the daily number of outbreaks, an average of 27 by last Sunday compared with 43 a fortnight previously.

In addition, Maff confirmed late last night that Northamptonshire and Leicestershire had became the first parts of the country to shed their "infected area" status. The announcement releases more than 1,000 farms from infected area restrictions.

The question of vaccination, however, still remains. Prof King has refused to rule out a vaccination programme in the worst affected areas. But the National Farmers' Union president, Ben Gill, yesterday reiterated his opposition to vaccination.

Mr Gill said he had written to his union's local offices explaining why the leadership did not think vaccination was desirable. "Remember, once you start vaccinating, you can't say 'let's stop and go back to where we were'. You are committed. Animals have been exposed to the vaccine and hence the consequent problems," he said.

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