It suggests that there should be an assurance that there will not be a blanket closure of footpaths if there is another outbreak of FMD or "other infectious animal diseases".
Will the Government care? Well, the Outdoor Industries Association has reported £60m in lost sales from UK retailers of outdoor equipment since the onset of FMD. Any sensible bunch of politicians seeking re-election would probably take note. We're not sure if that means they will, however; the NFU lobby is very powerful. Which makes it interesting to wonder how the FMD story would play if you replaced "farmers" with "miners" throughout.
Comments