OFFICIAL BERNARD MATTHEWS BIRD FLU REPORTS INCOMPATIBLE - HUHNE

12.00.00am GMT Mon 2nd Apr 2007

Commenting on the Food Standards Agency's decision not to proceed with a prosecution of Bernard Matthews for breaching poultry regulations, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"Given that the Defra-commissioned reports into Bernard Matthews affair pointed clearly to breaches in the regulations, and that there was TV footage of wild birds feeding off open waste bins at the plant containing poultry meat, this is an astonishing decision.

"When Parliament returns, I will press ministers to give a much fuller explanation than that we have been given.

"I hope that the Food Standards Agency has not been influenced by short-term concerns about employment at the plant. If consumers lose confidence in the regulatory regime, the damage to the whole poultry farming industry would potentially be devastating.

"It is in no-one's interest - not consumers and not farmers - to pussyfoot about applying food safety standards."