FIRST MP TO RAISE BLUETONGUE DEMANDS CLEAR GOVERNMENT STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH DISEASE

Lewes MP Norman Baker has today renewed his calls for a clear government strategy to deal with the threat of bluetongue after government vets confirmed the first UK case of the disease at a farm in Suffolk.

This confirmation of the arrival of the insect-borne disease from Europe, comes exactly four months after Mr Baker was the first MP to initiate a debate in the House of Commons on the threat the disease posed to the country's farming community. Speaking in the debate in May, Mr Baker highlighted the northward spread of the disease through Europe since 1998, the danger of it spreading over the channel to East Sussex and the rest of the UK and the urgent need for the government to ensure there were proper contingency plans in order to deal with a potential outbreak.

The strain of the disease found in Suffolk, serotype eight, is the same as that which has devastated cattle, sheep and goat herds across northern Europe. Since July, nearly 3000 cases of bluetongue have been confirmed in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

His action comes as Defra is investigating another suspected case of foot-and-mouth which, if confirmed, will be the first case of the disease outside Surrey this year.]

Commenting on the confirmation of bluetongue in the country, Norman Baker said:

"As I warned in the debate in the House of Commons only four months ago, bluetongue poses a serious threat to farming communities in East Sussex and the rest of the UK. While foot and mouth is more devastating in the short term because it is transmitted from animal to animal and can wipe out whole herds, it is still unclear how long bluetongue will last and exactly what the extent of the impact of the disease could be.

"After the disasters of foot and mouth and BSE it is essential that the government implements a clear strategy to minimise any further damage to the farming community, not to mention the welfare implications for the animals themselves. It is now vital that the government does all it can to help farmers deal with the arrival of the disease and that we now work as swiftly as possible towards the development of a vaccine."