§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions her Department has kept in force in the movement under licence into Northumberland from Scotland of cattle not intended for slaughter; and what the reason is for these restrictions. [17228]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 22 November 2001]: With effect from 20 November 2001, Northumberland has been reclassified for the purposes of foot and mouth disease controls from 'High Risk' to 'At Risk'. This means that under the Animal Movements Licensing Scheme cattle may move into Northumberland from TMD Free' counties under a licence issued by a local authority subject to prior veterinary inspection. All counties in Scotland are designated as TMD Free'. The licence system is in place to minimise the risk of spreading FMD.