NFU 2010: Fitzpatrick revives FMD debate with surprise admission

“I think it is entirely fair that if the Government is responsible, the Government should pay. If we are saying the industry has to take responsibility, Government also has to take responsibility,” he said to gasps from the conference during a political ‘Question Time’ session this afternoon (Wednesday, February 24).

The significance of his words were not lost on Shadow Agriculture Minister Jim Paice, who was sitting alongside Mr Fitzpatrick on the panel.

 “The Government did not take responsibility over Pirbright where there were very clear reports that the outbreak was the result of Government inspector’s failings.

“We had a debate on this before you were farming Minister, Jim, and the Government tried to evade all responsibility for what everybody felt was clearly Defra’s responsibility,” Mr Paice said.

Mr Fitzpatrick had been asked by session chairman, radio presenter Edward Stourton, whether the Government should pay up ‘if something is its fault, like in this case something rather nasty escaping from a laboratory’.

The NFU has estimated that the 2007 FMD outbreak, caused by a leak from the Government-licensed Pirbright laboratory, cost the industry over £100m, mainly as a result of livestock movement restrictions and an export ban.

The Government refused to bow to calls to compensate farmers beyond those directly affected by the virus.

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