DEFINITIVE INFORMATION NEEDED - HUHNE

12.00.00am GMT Tue 7th Aug 2007

Commenting on the Health and Safety Executive's inconclusive findings tonight, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defra Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"HSE report always had a limited remit and was likely to prove inconclusive about the source.

"Professor Brian Spratt from Imperial College and his team were visiting the Pirbright laboratory facilities when I met the Director of the Institute of Animal Health, and we will have to wait for his conclusions before we can say anything definitive about the causes of the outbreak.

"The Institute, though, is a world class establishment with an outstanding reputation and track record, and I would be surprised given the tough bio-security measures that I saw if the problem was originating from there.

"Identifying the cause probably means gnomically sequencing the viruses in the Pirbright laboratories so that they can be matched against the virus detected in the infected cattle. This is not an easy or quick task.

"In the meantime, the Government must keep the footpaths closed in the restricted areas.

"Defra also needs to work harder to contact farmers in the area, some of whom are still unclear about exactly what they are able to do."