GOVERNMENT INSISTS FARMERS PAY FOR DISEASE CONTROL

11.56.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 2nd Jul 2009

Alarm has been raised at the Government's intention to force through the Animal Health Responsibility and Cost Sharing Bill by June 2010.

Nick Harvey says 'Understandably the National Farmers' Union is opposed to Government plans that will force farmers to pay half of Defra's costs. The feeling is that farmers should not pay for the Government's failed disease contagion control regime.'

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron, says:

'The Government wouldn't ask communities affected by swine flu to pay to cover the cost, so it's completely unfair that farmers are being forced to pick up the tab.

'I'm amazed that Gordon Brown has the audacity to even suggest that live stock farmers should pay these increased costs, especially since the 2007 foot and mouth disease outbreak clearly came from a Government licensed premises. Everyone in farming understands the need to protect public health, but in the current economic climate there can be no justification for shifting the cost to hard pressed livestock farmers.'

Nick adds, 'This move will be particularly unwelcome in North Devon where Bovine TB remains a continuing problem. The Government simply cannot pull the rug from beneath our farmers and walk away.'