Livestock ban 'could be lifted'

Meat exports have been banned for three months

Restrictions on livestock movements imposed after the foot-and-mouth outbreak could be relaxed in Scotland before the end of the week.

Environment secretary Richard Lochhead said subject to expert advice he was prepared to allow animals to be taken for slaughter as early as Wednesday.

However, he said he would continue to monitor the situation following concerns about a fresh case in Surrey.

The UK is subject to a nationwide ban on livestock movement.

Maintain vigilance

The ban has been in place since the confirmation of a foot-and-mouth outbreak at a farm in Surrey on Friday.

Mr Lochhead met representatives from livestock and meat industry organisations across Scotland in Edinburgh on Monday.

He revealed afterwards that he had agreed to relax the movement ban in specific local instances so that cows can be milked or have urgent treatment - and outlined further relaxations if the outbreak was contained.

Mr Lochhead said: "It is critical to maintain vigilance and apply the precautionary principle until the full facts are known.

"However, we want to be ready to respond quickly when we have clear information that the outbreak is contained so that we can get this vital Scottish industry up and running again.

"We are working flat out to achieve this."

If we only have a single case in Surrey, we cannot afford to be out of Europe for three months James Withers NFU

Farmers have called for the national ban on meat exports following the outbreak to be lifted early in Scotland.

Scottish animal products are included in a three-month export ban imposed after the discovery of the virus on the farm near Guilford.

The ban could cost the meat industry millions, prompting calls today to minimise the impact of the outbreak on Scottish farmers.

James Withers, deputy chief executive of the National Farmers' Union in Scotland, said it would be calling on the European Commission to regionalise the ban if the virus is contained to Surrey.

Mr Withers said: "If we only have a single case in Surrey, we cannot afford to be out of Europe for three months."

A ban on UK beef exports that followed the BSE crisis was lifted only last year.