N'thum enquiry asks about missing phial

Originally from: Sue Mason
                        
The inquiry team has asked Defra to comment on reports that a phial containing foot-and-mouth disease went missing from the Porton Down research laboratories, Professor Dower said.
He said he was still waiting to hear from the Government department regarding the matter, he said today.
 He wrote to rural affairs minister Lord Whitty on January 8 with a list of questions which had arisen from information the inquiry had received locally.
Professor Dower asked: "What forewarning did Maff (Ministry of Agriculture) have of a possible foot-and-mouth outbreak prior to the outbreak in February?
"Several of the written submissions the inquiry received refer to reports of a lost phial of foot-and-mouth virus from Porton Down, reports that the disease was present in the country before it was officially admitted, reports that Maff officials were taking preparatory steps (eg making inquiries of timber merchants, taking part in simulation exercises, printing of 'footpath closed' notices etc) before the outbreak of the disease was officially announced.
"Can you confirm or deny these reports or provide any further detail?" The chairman hoped to have a reply before the end of the week-long inquiry. Farmers today told the inquiry team how the disease had ravaged the local economy.
Iain Robson, a farmer and butcher from the Kirkwhelpington area, had farmed through two previous foot-and-mouth outbreaks in 1960–1 and 1967.
"The impact of this one has been far, far greater," he told the hearing. Doug Watkin, a stockman and county councillor from the Norham area, saw his livestock culled in April.
He said today: "I lost a lifetime of work in a short time."
After he lost his animals, he said it was difficult to face other farmers. Charles Scott, head of the Farm Business Survey Centre for Rural Economy, worked on producing a report for the regional development agency One NorthEast which has initially found that farmers whose animals were culled lost an average of £60,000 and received £80-£120,000 compensation.
But Mr Scott said farmers who had not been culled had lost an average of £15,000 due to increased costs and movement restrictions.
mf
                        

Originally from: Sue Mason
                        
The inquiry team has asked Defra to comment on reports that a phial containing foot-and-mouth disease went missing from the Porton Down research laboratories, Professor Dower said.
He said he was still waiting to hear from the Government department regarding the matter, he said today.
 He wrote to rural affairs minister Lord Whitty on January 8 with a list of questions which had arisen from information the inquiry had received locally.
Professor Dower asked: "What forewarning did Maff (Ministry of Agriculture) have of a possible foot-and-mouth outbreak prior to the outbreak in February?
"Several of the written submissions the inquiry received refer to reports of a lost phial of foot-and-mouth virus from Porton Down, reports that the disease was present in the country before it was officially admitted, reports that Maff officials were taking preparatory steps (eg making inquiries of timber merchants, taking part in simulation exercises, printing of 'footpath closed' notices etc) before the outbreak of the disease was officially announced.
"Can you confirm or deny these reports or provide any further detail?" The chairman hoped to have a reply before the end of the week-long inquiry. Farmers today told the inquiry team how the disease had ravaged the local economy.
Iain Robson, a farmer and butcher from the Kirkwhelpington area, had farmed through two previous foot-and-mouth outbreaks in 1960–1 and 1967.
"The impact of this one has been far, far greater," he told the hearing. Doug Watkin, a stockman and county councillor from the Norham area, saw his livestock culled in April.
He said today: "I lost a lifetime of work in a short time."
After he lost his animals, he said it was difficult to face other farmers. Charles Scott, head of the Farm Business Survey Centre for Rural Economy, worked on producing a report for the regional development agency One NorthEast which has initially found that farmers whose animals were culled lost an average of £60,000 and received £80-£120,000 compensation.
But Mr Scott said farmers who had not been culled had lost an average of £15,000 due to increased costs and movement restrictions.
mf
                        

Originally from: Sue Mason
                        
The inquiry team has asked Defra to comment on reports that a phial containing foot-and-mouth disease went missing from the Porton Down research laboratories, Professor Dower said.
He said he was still waiting to hear from the Government department regarding the matter, he said today.
 He wrote to rural affairs minister Lord Whitty on January 8 with a list of questions which had arisen from information the inquiry had received locally.
Professor Dower asked: "What forewarning did Maff (Ministry of Agriculture) have of a possible foot-and-mouth outbreak prior to the outbreak in February?
"Several of the written submissions the inquiry received refer to reports of a lost phial of foot-and-mouth virus from Porton Down, reports that the disease was present in the country before it was officially admitted, reports that Maff officials were taking preparatory steps (eg making inquiries of timber merchants, taking part in simulation exercises, printing of 'footpath closed' notices etc) before the outbreak of the disease was officially announced.
"Can you confirm or deny these reports or provide any further detail?" The chairman hoped to have a reply before the end of the week-long inquiry. Farmers today told the inquiry team how the disease had ravaged the local economy.
Iain Robson, a farmer and butcher from the Kirkwhelpington area, had farmed through two previous foot-and-mouth outbreaks in 1960–1 and 1967.
"The impact of this one has been far, far greater," he told the hearing. Doug Watkin, a stockman and county councillor from the Norham area, saw his livestock culled in April.
He said today: "I lost a lifetime of work in a short time."
After he lost his animals, he said it was difficult to face other farmers. Charles Scott, head of the Farm Business Survey Centre for Rural Economy, worked on producing a report for the regional development agency One NorthEast which has initially found that farmers whose animals were culled lost an average of £60,000 and received £80-£120,000 compensation.
But Mr Scott said farmers who had not been culled had lost an average of £15,000 due to increased costs and movement restrictions.
mf
                        

Originally from: Sue Mason
                        
The inquiry team has asked Defra to comment on reports that a phial containing foot-and-mouth disease went missing from the Porton Down research laboratories, Professor Dower said.
He said he was still waiting to hear from the Government department regarding the matter, he said today.
 He wrote to rural affairs minister Lord Whitty on January 8 with a list of questions which had arisen from information the inquiry had received locally.
Professor Dower asked: "What forewarning did Maff (Ministry of Agriculture) have of a possible foot-and-mouth outbreak prior to the outbreak in February?
"Several of the written submissions the inquiry received refer to reports of a lost phial of foot-and-mouth virus from Porton Down, reports that the disease was present in the country before it was officially admitted, reports that Maff officials were taking preparatory steps (eg making inquiries of timber merchants, taking part in simulation exercises, printing of 'footpath closed' notices etc) before the outbreak of the disease was officially announced.
"Can you confirm or deny these reports or provide any further detail?" The chairman hoped to have a reply before the end of the week-long inquiry. Farmers today told the inquiry team how the disease had ravaged the local economy.
Iain Robson, a farmer and butcher from the Kirkwhelpington area, had farmed through two previous foot-and-mouth outbreaks in 1960–1 and 1967.
"The impact of this one has been far, far greater," he told the hearing. Doug Watkin, a stockman and county councillor from the Norham area, saw his livestock culled in April.
He said today: "I lost a lifetime of work in a short time."
After he lost his animals, he said it was difficult to face other farmers. Charles Scott, head of the Farm Business Survey Centre for Rural Economy, worked on producing a report for the regional development agency One NorthEast which has initially found that farmers whose animals were culled lost an average of £60,000 and received £80-£120,000 compensation.
But Mr Scott said farmers who had not been culled had lost an average of £15,000 due to increased costs and movement restrictions.
mf