'Alarming' evidence shows foot and mouth controls took six days to take full effect, MPs warn

Chair Alistair Carmichael said he felt compelled to write to Baroness Hayman, the Biosecurity Minister, before the publication of the report, as the evidence that MPs had heard from experts was so “alarming”.

On January 10, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was notified of the foot and mouth cases in Germany, and told port health authorities and councils to hold impacted consignments.

The Government also says it notified traders about the outbreak and “restrictions were immediately brought in on animal products from Germany”.

However, in his letter, Mr Carmichael said: “We have heard that it took six or seven days for controls on commercial imports to take effect due to failings in Defra’s communication and IT systems.”

The committee chair said this was particularly the case with the Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS), which alerts import agents what is allowed into the country, and was not updated until 15 January.

The head of port health and public protection at the Dover Port Health Authority, Lucy Manzano, told the MPs: “We are aware that for at least six days German products were able to autoclear the very systems to detect them and remove them.

“Products within scope of the foot and mouth disease controls were able to autoclear the system.”

While Helen Buckingham, a chartered environmental health practitioner with 30 years experience, claimed the IT system took seven days to update and “in that time things got through and that was rather remarkable”.

The expert said she fielded calls from inland health authorities asking for help when German products had turned up.

Mr Carmichael said: “This is a highly concerning development; we know all too well the devastation this disease can cause for our farmers, rural communities and economy.”

Defra completely refuted this to The Yorkshire Post and said that the Efra Committee claims were incorrect.

A spokesperson said: “The government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by foot and mouth disease.

“That is why restrictions were immediately brought in on animal products from Germany to prevent an outbreak.

“We ensured that auto-clearance facilities were superseded by robust biosecurity controls which were implemented at pace following confirmation of the outbreak.”

Committee member Charlie Dewhirst, the Bridlington and Wolds MP, told The Yorkshire Post: “The current foot and mouth outbreak seems to have been localised and contained.

“What it has revealed is that our systems did not respond immediately to prevent a potential spread.

“We’ve been lucky this time, but it’s a warning.”

Shadow Environment Minister Dr Neil Hudson worked as a vet during the outbreak in 2001 and supervised some of the animal culls.

He said he “witnessed sights I never want to see again in my lifetime”.

More than six million animals were slaughtered in response to the disease in 2001, and it cost the economy £12.8 billion.