Farron slams Government on Pirbright report

11.10.54am GMT Thu 13th Mar 2008

Tim Farron, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming and Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale has criticised the Government after a report issued today called the animal health facility at Pirbright "shabby and dilapidated". DEFRA, who were responsible for the facility, were heavily criticised by the report, along with several other organisations.

The report also stated that the outbreak of foot and mouth sparked by a leak from a drainage pipe at Pirbright was avoidable, and cautioned that other facilities may be in a similar state.

Tim Farron said:

"The average upland farmer in my constituency lost something like £10,000, and only received around £800 in compensation thanks to the Foot and Mouth outbreak last year. This report is further evidence that the Government was at fault here, and should be stumping up the cash to help farmers recover."