The Welsh Assembly Government is taking part in a GB-wide exercise to test government contingency plans and policies for the control and eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
The exercise, called “Silver Birch”, is taking place over the 9-10th November 2010. It will examine how organisations, including the Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Government, DEFRA and Animal Health, will work together in the event of an outbreak of FMD.
A wide range of organisations are taking part from Wales including Environment Agency (Wales), WLGA, the Police, NFU (Cymru), FUW and the National Sheep Association.
An Emergency Coordination Centre (Wales) will be established in Cardiff to co-ordinate the gathering and dissemination of information across Wales.
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said:
“Foot and Mouth is a devastating animal disease, as Wales knows only too well. We have learned the lessons of the past and ensured that contingency plans are in place and regularly reviewed but their effectiveness needs to be tested to identify further improvements.
“Animal health is a devolved issue, but it is vital that our response to animal disease outbreaks is coordinated across the UK. Testing our systems allows us to act swiftly in the best interests of the farming industry in Wales should Foot and Mouth Disease strike again.”
Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Dr Christianne Glossop, said
“I look forward to working with colleagues from organisations across Wales and the rest of GB to practice how we would all respond and work together in the event of a real-life outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease. Our readiness to deal with such an animal disease emergency will be put to the test under very lifelike circumstances, and an evaluation report will be published early next year.”
