To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Surrey County Council on lessons learnt from the Pirbright foot and mouth disease outbreak. (210824)

Officers at DEFRA’s Animal Health Divisional Office, in Reigate, Surrey have held several meetings with representatives of Surrey County Council Trading Standards and Emergency Planning Departments to discuss a range of contingency planning issues including lessons identified from the foot and mouth outbreak in 2007. This dialogue is part of regular and continuing liaison.