MAFF - Ministery for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was relinquished of responsibilties several weeks ago due the handling of Foot and Mouth. The new agency is DEFRA - Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

As far as I can tell this means the official enquiries can put all the blame on MAFF for almost anything and then say that it's all sorted because a "NEW" agency has control. (This is my own opinion and funnily enough it is not endorsed by any Government department!)

New cases continue to appear, between two and six every day, journalists continue to ignore the misery and the real issues and complain about compensation payments, when the whole situation is not being ignored.

Friends of my sister, who live in Somerset and had all their stock culled about six months ago, have been told..off the record and very quietly by someone from the, now obselete, ministry, not to even think of buying in stock until, at the soonest, next summer.