In the face of public concern over the distances travelled by livestock, which led to the disease spreading so widely across the UK, Mr Brown defends the current system. Animals have always travelled a long way. The difference today is that they can travel further, more quickly. A lorry will travel further, more quickly. A lorry will travel from Longtown to Hatherleigh in under eight hours.
Conditions are better for the animals, because such transport is regulated.
Any distance presents a disease problem, but there must be some risk assesment involved. There has been no problem with the system until now. He believes the spread of the disease was exacerbated by Governenment action, or lack of it. The Governenment was first aware of the outbreak on February 19. If the ban had been enforced on the 19th, we would have seen nothing like the spread we have.