Further to the statement to the Parliament on 26 April 2001 by the Minister for the Environment and Rural Development, whether it proposes …

The Foot and Mouth Disease situation in Scotland continues to improve and up to midnight last night only five cases of the disease have been reported this month. While continued vigilance is necessary, I have decided to authorise the following relaxations in animal movement and other controls.Provisionally Free Area- Veterinary certification will no longer be required for longer distance movements.- Collection Centres which, on the mainland, are approved to deal in fatstock only, will now be permitted to cover store stock. This will bring the mainland PFA into line with existing arrangements on the islands.- Cattle will be permitted to move direct to slaughter from the ARA into the PFA. These movements will be subject to strict veterinary and other controls.At Risk Areas- Longer Distance Movements will be permitted in the areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Borders outwith Infected Areas, so extending existing ARA rules to these districts.- The need for supervision of Longer Distance Movements will be dispensed with and replaced by a system of spot checks.- Deer Stalking will also now be permitted in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders with the exception of those parts which fall within the Infected Areas.- Collection Centres will be approved to deal with fat and store stock.Infected Areas- The road network has been used as the means of delineating the Infected Areas. This has encompassed farms which fall outwith the regulatory 10km Surveillance Zones. Officials are looking at ways in which the areas might be redefined to release farms on the South Ayrshire/Galloway border and to the north of the Moffat Surveillance Zone.- Outwith the 3km protection zones, local and occupational licences will be granted without any need to demonstrate a welfare requirement. Trading will be permitted under these arrangements. In exceptional circumstances, longer movements within the Infected Areas can now be authorised by the Divisional Veterinary Manager in order to resolve any particularly serious welfare problem.- Animals from the PFA and ARA will also be allowed to move into the Infected Area. This will cover the movement of bulls and the return of over-wintered hoggs, for example. Vehicles carrying these animals will be cleansed and disinfected at an official C&D Centre prior to returning to the ARA/PFA. Once the animals enter the Infected Area they will not be permitted to move outside it.- I am aware that there are substantial numbers of finished cattle which the Scottish meat trade would like authorisation to have moved from the Infected Areas for slaughter in the ARA. I am sympathetic to their case which is still being considered. There are, however, legislative and other considerations which will need to be weighed carefully in the balance before I decide whether this can be permitted.