Hilary Benn responds to review into handling of Foot and Mouth Disease

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today welcomed a report into last summer's Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.

Foot and Mouth Disease 2007: A Review and Lessons Learned was written by Dr Iain Anderson, who carried out a review into the handling of the 2001 FMD outbreak.

It commends the Government's overall handling of the 2007 outbreak, stating that "many of the lessons identified in the 2002 report had been acted upon and performance, taken as a whole, was much improved." It concludes that "on balance, the positive easily outweighs the negative", but it does identify deficiencies that need to be addressed.

Responding in a written ministerial statement, Mr Benn said that the Government would carefully consider the report's recommendations and work with partners to decide what further steps were needed to ensure that we are as prepared as possible to prevent and control animal disease outbreaks in the future.

Thanking Dr Anderson and his team for their work, Mr Benn said:

"Many of Dr Anderson's recommendations encourage us to build on the improvements that have already been made; for example in strengthening communications, assessing and managing risk and exercising and testing contingency plans. I agree that even when things have gone well, we can always do better in future.

"As well as finding much progress compared to 2001, Dr Anderson's review also points to things that didn't go right and where further action is recommended.

"In relation to Pirbright and the Institute for Animal Health, we have already taken action. The Government accepted all of the recommendations in Sir Bill Callaghan's independent review of the regulatory framework for the handling of animal pathogens published in December 2007, including that responsibility for the regulation of animal pathogens should transfer to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

"Defra is working closely with the HSE and other departments, to implement all three phases of the work recommended by Sir Bill Callaghan. The formal legal transfer of SAPO enforcement and inspection responsibilities is well underway and is nearing completion.

"In addition, following the review of biosecurity at Pirbright conducted by Professor Brian Spratt in August 2007, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) asked Sir John Beringer to undertake a review of the governance, funding and risk management of the Institute for Animal Health. Sir John is due to report to the BBSRC in April 2008.