Foot and mouth: have lessons been learned?

The government's handling of the foot-and-mouth outbreak has so far surpassed 2001's response. But it remains to be seen whether the cost to farming and non-farming businesses alike can be kept down.

The latest foot-and-mouth (FMD) crisis has been handled well so far, says Sean Rickard in the FT.

In 2001 it took the Government's Cobra emergency committee a month to get involved; this time it swung into action immediately. It took just three hours on Friday to ban national movement of animals; last time it took three days.

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