BERNARD MATTHEWS SHOULD BE HELD TO ACCOUNT - HUHNE

12.56.04pm GMT Thu 19th Apr 2007

The Liberal Democrats today accused Defra Ministers of "going soft in applying hygiene rules" over the avian flu outbreak at the Bernard Matthews plant on Holton.

Commenting on Defra's final report into the outbreak published today Liberal Democrat Shadow Defra Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"This report confirms two potentially crucial biosecurity lapses, yet Defra seems to go out of its way to praise areas of good practice at Bernard Matthews and ministers have said that they will not prosecute.

"The report finds that wild birds were able to feed off waste meat and that buildings were left in a poor state of repair allowing access by rodents.

"The failure to hold Bernard Matthews to account could be a dangerous precedent. If consumers lose confidence in the regulatory regime, the damage to the whole poultry farming industry may be devastating.

"Giving over half a million pounds of taxpayers' money to Bernard Matthews will cause considerable anger unless the business is also held to account for its bio-security lapses.

"Ministers must not go soft in applying hygiene rules."