Originally from: Mary Critchley
                        
Friends and supporters are very warmly invited to join the presence outside the House of Commons between 12.30 and 1.30 pm where the press will be made aware of our grave concerns about the Animal health amendment bill Animal Health (amendment) bill EXTRACTS: 21. Clause 4 confers on the Minister the power to cause to be slaughtered animals because they have been vaccinated against FMD or other animal diseases specified by order. Subsection (3) provides a power to take any action required to slaughter the animals or required in connection with the slaughter....that the new power may be exercised whether or not the animals concerned are affected or suspected of being affected with the disease, have been in contact with affected animals, or have been exposed to or vaccinated against the disease. ...Clause 7 inserts a new section 62A into the 1981 Act to provide a power of entry for the purpose of ascertaining whether any power to cause animals to be slaughtered should be exercised and for the purpose of doing anything in pursuance of the exercise of that power.

The best way to get MPs into committee room 14 for the meeting below is for their constituents to urge them to be there.

MPs can be faxed direct by using the internet http://www.faxyourmp.com More details as they emerge from http://www.warmwell.com

Committee Room 14 Meeting to explore the issues 1.30 – 3.00 pm

The following speakers have agreed to be on the panel
 a.. Roger Green President RCVS
 b.. Roger Windsor Council of RCVS
 c.. Mark Richer RCVS reprentative to RSPCA (also a barrister)
 d.. William Neville Burges Salmon, law
 e.. Lawrence Alderson director of Rare Breeds International
 f.. Barbara Jordan solicitor
Members of Parliament and Peers of all parties are invited to attend this meeting. Also present will be representatives of the NFU, Countryside Alliance, Country Landowners Association, The FMD Forum, National Foot and Mouth Group, and others we have yet to hear from. There is likely to be press coverage of a small demonstration outside Parliament but the meeting inside will be orderly and serious. Rt hon Peter Ainsworth MP has agreed to say a few words too. Ann Winterton, Frontbench spokesman on agriculture will be there for as long as she can manage and we are expecting MPs of all parties to be interested.

Topics covered will be likely to include:
 a.. legal aspects of the bill's new powers; European Convention on Human Rights
 b.. the position in which veterinary surgeons are placed
 c.. the inclusion of animals whether or not they are affected by disease
 d.. scrapie measures
 e.. biodiversity in the potential loss to rare breeds in slaughter policies ends