Chamber and committees

Farmers are required to register their holdings under the Agriculture Act 1974 with the Agricultural Census branch, and thus a complete database of farms already exists. However, in reality, it is acknowledged that a small number of farmers refuse to complete census forms or confirm land movements, and thus completeness and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.In addition, the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) holds details of all claimants for EU agricultural subsidies. Both systems are subject to restrictions on the uses to which these data may be put, due to confidentiality constraints. Discussions are on-going to ensure that coverage of both systems is as complete and consistent as possible.

The Scottish Executive have not received any complaints or comments from the police, State Veterinary Service or any other organisation concerning the accuracy of the information on the location, size, nature, and current operational status of farms.

SEERAD made two key sources of information available to those involved in tackling the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001.The first source was basic information held in the EU Agricultural subsidies database, the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) which provided details of all IACS and agri-environment claimants. This covers most agricultural holdings, the exception being pig and poultry farms and non-claimants. The IACS Field Register was used to provide geographic information on the boundaries of fields and farms. The grid reference of each holding found to be infected was used to identify details of fields and farms located within the 3km exclusion zone of that holding. A set procedure was established to ensure that checks were undertaken within SEERAD to verify the grid reference prior to use, to ensure its accuracy. Under the IACS regulations, claimants are subject to a regime of administrative checks and on-the-spot inspections to validate claims, with a percentage of farms inspected each year. The inspection process includes checks on the physical field boundaries. These existing check processes ensured that the data were fit for use in fighting foot-and-mouth disease.The second source was the Agricultural Census, which provided a register of all agricultural holdings. Farmers are required to register their agricultural holdings with the census branch under sections 78 and 79 of the Agriculture Act 1947, and thus the details held should be complete and current. However, in reality, it is acknowledged that a small number of farmers refuse to complete census forms or confirm land movements, and thus completeness and accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The census registration includes pig and poultry farms and non (or part-non) claimants, and so could be used to complement the IACS information.In addition to this, local knowledge of SEERAD agricultural staff from the local area office was used to supplement the centrally-held information. There were no significant accuracy issues identified with either data source, although there were a few instances where people owned livestock as pets and so their address was not classified as agricultural premises and not identified by the data sources.

Since the scale and nature of outbreaks are unpredictable it is not possible to make any realistic estimate about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease or the likely number of cases. SEERAD Area Office and State Veterinary Service plans do not contain estimates for specialist assistance in slaughter or for the hire or purchase of additional equipment. However, information about availability of specialist equipment is usually available from contingency plans drawn up by local authorities, which cover a wide range of emergency situations.

All SEERAD Area Offices and sub-offices have contingency plans for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks and each of the five Divisional Animal Health Offices have detailed instructions for dealing with all notifiable disease emergencies including FMD. Practical FMD control exercises are carried out every second year by each of the five divisional AHO offices and at every exercise participants are invited from other AHO offices, the State Veterinary Service Head Office in Edinburgh, SEERAD Area Offices, local authorities and other relevant agencies.In addition, these instructions and contingency plans are backed by local authority and police authority contingency plans providing detailed instructions for dealing with disease emergencies.SVS plans are reviewed annually and the SEERAD Area Office plans are reviewed regularly. The plans have been in existence for many years and are amended to reflect changes in organisations and findings from the practical exercises. The most recent changes were to update contact details.

There were no discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government, other Governments or any other international bodies prior to the outbreak of the disease about any threat posed by PanAsia type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Ministers were alerted to the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on Wednesday 21 February 2001. Prior to that they were not aware of any substantial risk of infection from the PanAsia Type O strain of the virus. All strains of foot-and-mouth disease are significant and are a constant threat.

Ministers were alerted to the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on Wednesday 21 February 2001. Prior to that they were not aware of any report of any threat from the PanAsia Type O strain of the virus.

Leslie Gardner is the Senior State Veterinary Service representative in Scotland and advises the Scottish ministers on all animal health matters. He did not see any specific report of any threat from the PanAsia Type O strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). All strains of FMD are significant and are a constant threat. Our contingency plans reflect that.

In the past two years the Scottish Executive has been represented at the following international conferences:Conference of Directors of EU Paying Agencies, Portugal - May 2000;The World Potato Conference, Amsterdam - September 2000;The Annual General Meeting of the OIE, Paris - May 2000;FMD Conference on Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Brussels - December 2001;FMD was discussed at the OIE and Foot-and-Mouth Disease Conferences.