Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-17-Speech-2-041"
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"en.20021217.1.2-041"2
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"Mr President, as some colleagues may know, I live in Cumbria at the heart of last year's foot and mouth outbreak. I and many of my friends, neighbours and constituents lost our animals. For us the pyres were not on the television screen, they were over the garden fence. I would like to make one thing absolutely clear: the vast majority of those affected were good farmers whose husbandry bears no relationship to that of the few described by Mr Adam.
Because of my own involvement I have, quite rightly, not played any direct part in the inquiry's proceedings, but it seems clear to me that its findings make a valuable contribution to drawing the right lessons from the 2001 outbreak. I would merely like to make four comments. Firstly, what occurred in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom – and I have said exactly the same in debates in the UK Parliament and House of Lords – was exacerbated by mistakes made by the United Kingdom Government's handling of the outbreak.
Secondly, while those whose physical assets were destroyed received compensation, those whose livelihoods were damaged to a similar extent by administrative measures introduced to fight the disease received nothing. This loss, which flowed directly from what the government was doing and was entirely foreseeable, was equally real. Their contribution to the fight against the disease was equally valid. In my view, an injustice has been done to them.
Thirdly, the evidence now emerging in Cumbria suggests that the public health consequences of the outbreak are much wider-ranging and much longer-lasting than was supposed at the time.
I would like to end with an appeal beyond this House to the Commission and the governments of the Member States: learn the lessons of 2001. Do not let other people go through what we did last year."@en1
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