Minister 'sorry' over statement

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown today apologised to farmers for ambiguities in his Common's statement which led hundreds of farmers to believe their cattle would face mass slaughter.

He made it clear that the policy of three-kilometre wide slaughter zones in Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway would only automatically apply to pigs and sheep.

Speaking at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in central London, he said: "I want to apologise on my own behalf and behalf of the Ministry for any hurt this has caused farmers."

He added: "We didn't explain ourselves very well yesterday. Having re-read my statement it is accurate but I can see that it is ambiguous."

Mr Brown says he will be travelling to Cumbria as soon as he is available to meet farmers and to clear up any misunderstanding.

He said Mr Scudamore would also be travelling to Cumbria within the next few days to meet farmers.

Mr Brown urged everyone involved in the livestock industry to support the Government in its bid to stamp out the virus.

He said: "The war we should be fighting is against the virus. To be fighting each other is a ridiculous thing to do.

"I appeal to everyone to work with the Government and to work together to defeat this virus."

If necessary the Government would bring in emergency powers to close roads.

Mr Scudamore estimated that the total number of animals to be slaughtered would run into the hundreds of thousands rather than millions as predicted by NFU President Ben Gill earlier today.

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