Govt sanctions inhumane breeding of monkeys

By politics.co.uk staff The Home Office is allowing monkeys bred in “deplorable” conditions to be supplied to the UK for animal testing, an animal charity alleged today. Animal Defenders International (ADI) claimed a monkey supplier in Vietnam, with a UK government licence, was breeding monkeys in rusty, metre-tall cages, which allow barely enough room for […]

Dog review demands dismissed

The government has rejected calls by the Liberal Democrats to review the Dangerous Dogs Act, following a rise in the number of dog-related injuries. Lib Dem health spokesperson Norman Lamb uncovered the 43 per cent increase in people being admitted to hospitals because of dog attacks in the last four years through parliamentary questions. He […]

MP adopts humpback whale

Hastings and Rye MP Michael Foster has adopted a humpback whale to show his opposition to Japanese whaling. The adoptee, named My Auntie, was brought to Mr Foster’s attention by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which aims to protect this and other vulnerable species. Robbie Marsland, director of IFAW UK, said: “IFAW is […]

Minister to push for new fishing quota

The government will lobby the EU to increase fishing quotas in a bid to reduce the number of healthy fish being thrown back into the school. The EU sets strict quotas for the number of each species of fish trawlers can bring back to port in a bid to prevent over-fishing of protected stocks such […]

Second bird flu outbreak confirmed

A second outbreak of the potentially fatal H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found on the Suffolk/Norfolk borders. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed Monday afternoon a second outbreak of the virus has been found at a farm near Thetford. Acting chief veterinary Officer Fred Landeg said: “The laboratory test […]

Govt confirms bird flu outbreak is H5N1

The outbreak of bird flu in Suffolk is the virulent H5N1 strain of the virus, the government has said. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed this afternoon that birds at Redgrave Park Farm near Diss had been infected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. Acting chief veterinary office Fred Landeg […]

Second farm tests positive for FMD

The government has confirmed a second farm in Egham has tested positive for foot and mouth disease. Chief veterinary officer Debbie Reynolds announced today that tests on livestock from the second farm had revealed they were contagious. The animals were culled last night as a “precautionary measure”, bringing the total number slaughtered during the September […]

Pirbright takes centre stage again

The British farming industry is in turmoil again today after Defra announced the most recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease appears to be linked to the Pirbright laboratory in Surrey. Preliminary tests have shown the virus is the same strain as that which led to the slaughter of hundreds of livestock last month. Farmers […]

Bird flu risk to public ‘negligible’

The risk to the public from the outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian bird flu in Suffolk is “negligible”, environment secretary David Miliband has insisted. The slaughter of 159,000 turkeys at the Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk is expected to finish today, and the bodies will be transported to Staffordshire to be destroyed. […]

Cameron: Farming should go green

David Cameron has said farming has a positive future – if it exploits the new trends for ethical and green produce. Growing crops for bio-fuels, promoting the UK’s good animal welfare standards, demand for local food and organic produce all present opportunities for farmers in the years to come – the Conservative leader told the […]