The Spectator’s notes | 11 August 2007

We are paying now for the lack of a single, comprehensive inquiry into the great foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001. We were unprepared. Although foot-and-mouth information notices were first posted on 4 July, there was confusion when the Surrey outbreak was confirmed on Friday afternoon last week. People did not know how to operate the national ban on the movement of livestock. Some environmental health offices, closed for the weekend, did not open. The police had instructions to stop all movements (sensible) and impound all livestock that were moving (impossible). No one seemed to know about the EU directive on immediate ring vaccination. Once upon a time, though, there was a proper inquiry. After the previous big outbreak, which began on a farm at Nantmawr, near Oswestry on 25 October 1967, the Northumberland report identified the source, reviewed the handling and made recommendations. It emphasised the fact that the virus is carried through the air, and therefore a breathing, infected cow is deadly — slaughter should take place straightaway.