Publication of The Welsh Foot And Mouth Contingency Plan

I am pleased to be able to announce today the publication of the Welsh Foot and Mouth Contingency Plan.  Copies have been placed in the Library and it  will also be available on the Assembly’s website, which can be found under the heading  “Foot and Mouth”.

The Plan sits alongside DEFRA’s GB Contingency Plan and is designed to complement State Veterinary Service Instructions, local Animal Health Divisional Office and Local Authorities’ Contingency Plans.

Unforeseen delays prevented DEFRA from laying their plan before the UK Parliament on 24 of March as they originally intended, it was laid on Friday 28 March.

The Welsh Plan reflects the current position that foot and mouth is DEFRA’s responsibility, it is not a devolved responsibility.  Also that GB is a single epidemiological unit.  It provides the framework for operational management structures that would be put in place in Wales in the event of an outbreak.  

Assembly Government and DEFRA officials are in discussions examining the case for further devolution of animal health powers but most of the systems and procedures set out in this Plan will apply if powers are transferred.   The key difference will be that the Assembly will have greater control over the strategy and tactics to be applied in Wales.  Consistency of approach would be achieved by the provision of advice through the GB State Veterinary Service.

Development of the Welsh Plan

Work started on a draft Plan in January 2002 in consultation with DEFRA.  The need to involve those with a direct interest in the Plan was recognised and the draft was presented to Stakeholders and Partners in June 2002, followed by a meeting with them on 13 June 2002.  The meeting produced valuable guidance on what the Stakeholders and Partners expected from the Plan.

A revised draft was sent to Stakeholders and Partners in July 2002, it was placed in the Assembly Library and on the Assembly’s Web site.  A consultation period followed between July and October 2002.  The comments and suggestions received during the consultation have been taken into account in producing the Plan being published today.  

The joint-Government Response to the Anderson and Follett Inquiries published on 6th November 2002 and the outcome of the Assembly’s inquiry into the handling of the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 have also been taken into account in the current plan.

A final meeting with Stakeholders and Partners was held on 18 February 2003 and I am satisfied that we have done everything possible to take on board their views and ensure their future involvement.

Content of Plan

The Plan provides greater clarity in terms of the command and control structure.  Tactical and strategic control will be maintained by DEFRA and communicated through to the Welsh Co-ordination Centre.

Operational control in Wales will lie with the Operations Director for Wales who will ensure that DEFRA’s National Disease Control Centre instructions are carried out effectively and ensure that Assembly Minister’s are kept fully apprised of all the various aspects of dealing with an outbreak via the Disease Strategy Group.

The Plan sets out the roles and responsibilities of the key posts, Operations Director, Local Operations Manager, Divisional Veterinary Manager and those with particular responsibilities in the Welsh Co-ordination Centre.

In particular, partners such as local authorities, the Environment Agency, the Food Standards Agency and the RSPCA will be invited to take an active role in the Welsh Co-ordination Centre from the outset.

The Army in Wales will be notified of an outbreak but the decision to deploy them will be taken by the UK Govt.  If an outbreak were on such a scale that resources were severely stretched then consideration would be given to engaging the Army.

Better communications was a particular lesson learned from the last outbreak.  Clear lines have been defined between the DEFRA’s National Disease Control Centre, the Welsh Co-ordination Centre, and Ministers.  A communications strategy has been devised to ensure that the farming community and the people of Wales are kept informed about the progress of the disease and are provided with advice on such matters as bio-security, disposal, movement controls and disease control measures.


Stakeholders and Partners played a valuable part in the last outbreak, which will be built upon by ensuring they are involved from the start of any future outbreak.  The Assembly will set up Advisory Groups, which will involve Stakeholders and Partners to specifically deal with such issues as access to the countryside, economic impact and human health.

Vaccination

Perhaps the most significant change in approach to disease control is that positive consideration is required to be given to the use of emergency vaccination to live. Vaccination would be used in conjunction with other control measures, infected and suspect animals would still need to be culled.
The European Parliament set up a temporary committee in 2002 to consider the handling of the outbreak in 2001 and they reported to the European Parliament in December 2002.  The European Commission have produced a draft EU Directive on the control measures necessary to deal with any future outbreak and it covers vaccination in particular.  The details of the provisions in the draft Directive are currently being discussed with Stakeholders, Partners and Devolved Administrations.

EU proposals set out in the draft Directive require that meat from vaccinated animals must be de-boned and matured for it to be sold for human consumption.  This is a major problem for Wales, as the Welsh lamb industry would be severely affected.  It is considered uneconomical to de-bone the light lambs we produce.  In view of the particular impact vaccination would have on trade in Wales a meeting was held on 6 March with stakeholders, including farming unions, meat and milk producers and meat processing plants.  Views of Welsh Stakeholders are being taken fully into account as part of the UK’s negotiating position on the EU’s draft Directive.

The Non Structured Protein test is used to differentiate between an infected and a vaccinated animal but it needs further development.  The test is currently not validated for sheep but progress is being made towards a test which is accepted internationally.

DEFRA, with the EU and the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) are exploring improvements to vaccines and surveillance tests for early restoration of disease free status allowing meat exports after an outbreak.  

DEFRA have put in place interim arrangements to ensure they have the resources, vaccination teams and supplies of vaccine, to meet any immediate requirements to undertake a vaccination exercise should the need arise. Permanent arrangements are being progressed through tendering procedures.

Animal Movements

If an out break of foot and mouth is confirmed an immediate animal movement ban would be imposed.  The existing 6-day movement restrictions and the use of vaccination would reduce the spread of disease and the numbers of animals required to be slaughtered.

Access to the Countryside

There was much concern in 2001 about the widespread ban on using the countryside.  The Plan seeks to ensure that public access would be maintained to as much of the country side  as possible.  Subject to veterinary advice only the area surrounding an infected premises would be closed off.


Disposal

During the 2001 outbreak there was also much concern about the environmental and health impacts from the use of on-farm pyres and mass burial. In future on-farm pyres and mass burial are unlikely to be considered for environmental and public health reasons.

DEFRA’s revised disposal hierarchy is: -

i. Incineration
ii. Rendering
iii. Licensed Landfill

Movement controls and vaccination will reduce the pressure on carcass disposal facilities, giving more assurance of its ability to cope without having to resort to the use of pyres and burial.  

The use of licensed landfill is subject to the terms of the draft Animal By-products regulations, which are the subject of negotiations between DEFRA and the European Commission.  As matters currently stand landfill remains an option but could be precluded under the terms of the regulations.  If after clarification of the legal position landfill is confirmed as an available option the Welsh Assembly Government will discuss the relevant issues with relevant organisations in Wales.

Future Development of the Contingency Plan

The Contingency Plan is not a final document it will develop to meet new challenges and to ensure this it is required to be reviewed at least annually. Training of key staff is particularly important in ensuring the effectiveness of the Plan and a strategy will be identified and implemented.  An exercise to test the Welsh Plan will be carried out in the coming months and further exercises will be undertaken in the future to test its continuing effectiveness.  The Assembly will work closely with the State Veterinary Service, Stakeholders and Partners to ensure The Plan is kept up to date to meet ever-changing circumstances and demands.