92 



FoOT-AND-MoUTH DISEASE. 



[Apr. 



On 6th March a new Order came into operation revising the restrictions 

 generally. This Order released from restrictions altogether the South-western 

 counties of England and South Wales, as well as the Northern half of 

 Scotland. The remainder of Great Britain was divided into 4 scheduled 

 districts within which movement was allowed for all necessary purposes with 

 a licence of the Local Authority of the place of destination, which licence was 

 required to be endorsed by the Local Authority of the place from Avhich the 

 animals were mo\ed. Within these 4 scheduled districts certain infected 

 areas surrounding outbreaks or groups of outbreaks were declared. Out of 

 these infected areas no movement A\as allowed to take place except direct to 

 a slaughterhouse in one of the 4 scheduled districts for slaughter within 

 48 hours of arrival thereat, and no farm dispersal sales were allowed to be 

 held within those infected areas. Throughout the scheduled districts store 

 stock sales continued to be prohil)ited, but fat stock markets could be held by 

 licence of the Local Authorities subject to veterinary inspection. No animals 

 could be moved from the scheduled districts to any of the released areas for 

 any purpose whatever. 



On 17th March the last-mentioned Order was amended so as to add the 

 whole of North Wales and Berkshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to the 

 released areas and also for the purpose of empowering Local Authorities to 

 license the holding of farm dispersal sales in infected areas, subject to the 

 conditions that (a) no such sale was to be held within two miles of an 

 infected place ; and (b) that licences should be obtained for njovements from 

 such sales to the places of destination, but that no movements should be 

 allowed from such sales to premises within a radius of two miles from an 

 infected place. 



The following is an extract from a circular letter sent by the Ministry on 

 15tli March to Local Authorities when issuing this Order : — 



*' The Ministry considers that the risk of the spread of disease by the 

 holding of dispersal sales on any premises within a radius of 2 miles 

 from any existing infected place renders it inadvisable to allow such 

 sales on premises so situated at the present time, and has accordingly 

 provided that no licences shall be issued in these cases. It may also 

 happen that although a licence for the holding of a sale has been issued 

 by the Local Authority, the remo\ al of all or some of the animals 

 therefrom to the intended places of destination by their purchasers may 

 be prevented by prohibitive regulations of Local Authorities of the 

 receiving districts. In all such cases both the incoming and outgoing- 

 tenants will be placed in a position of considerable difficulty as regards 

 the keep of the animals on the premises where they are detained. 

 With a view to minimising these difficulties as far as practicable, the 

 Minister made the Order entitled the ' Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Change 

 of Occupation) Order of rJ22.' dated the 13th instant. This Order 

 provides that where, owing to the termination of his right of occupation 

 of any land, the owner of livestock kept thereon is unable to remove the 

 same by reason of the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions, the incoming- 

 occupier shall afford the owner of the livestock all such facilities for 

 tending, feeding or using the stock, or for the sale of the stock (where 

 the sale is licensed) as he may reasonably require : and that where the 

 owner is unable to avail himself of such facilities the incoming occupier 



