The following is the text of a letter from the Chairwoman of FAWC to Mr Elliot Morley MP, dated 2 April 2001, concerning Foot and Mouth Disease.

I am very aware that the current outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease has MAFF personnel in all areas working at full capacity. At the same time, within the Council of FAWC, we have been carefully considering the ways in which the Council may be able to help.

Early in the outbreak, I selected a small group of Council members to form a FAWC FMD Task Force, and ensured your officials were fully aware of the existence of this group and knew that these selected members would be available for contact via the FAWC Secretariat at all times. I felt it important to put expertise on animal welfare matters at the Department's disposal to advise at short notice.

More recently, some members of the Council have been involved with MAFF teams on an ad hoc basis, providing specific advice from their extensive experience. I would readily encourage that this should continue.

However, I would like this opportunity to reinforce the offer of assistance from FAWC, particularly via the FAWC FMD Task Force. Whilst Jim Scudamore has written to acknowledge the existence of the Task Force, I feel that the available expertise may be being under-utilised in the light of the issues and challenges faced by your officials.

Through the FAWC Secretariat the mechanism exists to involve members who are highly experienced in welfare issues and with relevant expertise in farming, transport, slaughter and veterinary matters. Furthermore, we have already drawn up a comprehensive list of the welfare concerns which arise in the current circumstances, and I feel this analysis would be beneficial to your officials.

In addition, the full involvement of FAWC at this sensitive time will undoubtedly reflect beneficially upon the Department when we review the aftermath and seek to learn lessons for the future.

I would be happy to meet with you or your officials to discuss the issues which concern FAWC and the areas and ways in which we may be able to be of assistance.