Foot & Mouth

I somewhat light-heartedly made previous comments about the proposed (and cancelled) restrictions on the movement of cattle for agricultural shows.

Having been involved in the planning during the previous foot and mouth scares, and being the person who would have carried the can if anything had happened, I know a bit about the difficulties, dangers and threats the Western Isles face.

The Executive are completely correct to take a precautionary stance and to ban animal movements until such time that the outbreak is resolved. The questions that must be answered are, "Where did the infection come from?" and "How can we stop it happening again?"