Rural regret

An easy target for the then Tory opposition, attacks were commonplace on Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, centring on their lack of understanding – and interest – in rural affairs.

Yet today’s revelations that Government cuts will see the closure of Thirsk’s animal health laboratory are worrying evidence the mistakes of the past are being repeated. In the opinion of Paul Roger, one of the region’s most senior vets, Defra mandarins are rushing through key policy decisions without engaging with the experts.

This cannot be allowed to happen. The consequences of another major disease outbreak do not need articulating to the thousands who, 10 years on, still bare the scars of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disaster.

A further outbreak in 2007, alongside other damaging incidents of E.coli, blue tongue and the ever present problems with Bovine TB, offer clear evidence that this is not a time for complacency.

There are potentially serious animal and public health issues at stake, and a Government that makes great play of its commitment to the NHS should ask if the Health Service could cope with another swine flu pandemic.

Arguably of greatest concern is the accusation that Whitehall are taking these decisions based purely on the financial bottom line.

Clearly savings have to be made across the public sector, but NHS policy being formed without speaking to doctors would be unthinkable, so why is the Government overlooking the specialist knowledge of both the vets and the scientific community?

The depletion of resources will undoubtedly lead to corners being cut in many areas of the public sector, but animal and public health must not be one of them.