Beckett warns of further outbreaks of foot-and-mouth

The foot-and-mouth epidemic is far from over and it would be "a miracle" if there was not a further outbreak this autumn, Margaret Beckett, the Rural Affairs Secretary, warned yesterday.

After 16 days without a recorded case, which has raised hopes that the epidemic may be on the wane, Mrs Beckett said livestock movements around the country could create a "real danger" of a resurgence of the epidemic.

But giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee yesterday, she said MPs should not be overoptimistic, and that lifting restrictions on animal movements was still a danger. "It will be a miracle if we get through the autumn and winter without seeing a resurgence. We fully recognise that it is by no means over and biosecurity measures will continue for a very considerable period of time," Mrs Beckett said.

The Secretary of State risked angering farmers by blaming them for prolonging the epidemic. She said that government vets and civil servants had made a "heroic" effort to stamp out the epidemic. But she said that farmers' reluctance to kill their animals had meant that targets for slaughtering infected stock and animals in surrounding areas were not always met.

The Rural Affairs Secretary expressed her sympathy with farmers and rural businesses who had suffered in the crisis. However Mrs Beckett said that further cash handouts, on top of the £1bn of compensation for foot-and-mouth cases, were unlikely.

Mrs Beckett rejected calls from MPs for a public inquiry into the outbreak and said that she did not agree individual ministers and civil servants should be taken to task.

"It is extremely important that we learn the lessons of how it was handled," she said.

Mrs Beckett said a report would be published today by Lord Haskins, Tony Blair's rural recovery co-ordinator, on measures to revive the economy of Cumbria.