The Prime Minister has met with leaders of the National Farmers’ U nion to discuss the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
In talks at Number 10, Mr Brown assured NFU president Peter Kendall and director general Richard McDonald that the Government was doing all it can to contain the infection at the farm near Guildford and that work was ongoing to identify the source of the disease.
The PM and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn also made it clear that they wished to take on board the concerns of the farming and rural communities in dealing with the outbreak.
Following the meeting, NFU president Peter Kendall said that it was important “to focus on eradicating the disease” and to return to a “normal market environment”. A national ban on the movement of livestock was introduced on Saturday as part of the containment measures.
On Sunday the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that the strain of foot and mouth discovered at the farm in Surrey was also present at the nearby Merial Animal Health company. Merial is involved in the production of vaccines for diseases such as foot and mouth and shares a site with the Institute for Animal Health.
Results of tests carried out by the Health and Safety Executive are expected in the next 24 hours, though directors of both organisations have insisted they have experienced no breach in procedures that may have resulted in contamination.