WELFARE OF TURKEY FARM EMPLOYEES MUST BE KEY CONCERN - HUHNE

12.14.46pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 5th Feb 2007

Commenting on the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu at a Suffolk turkey farm, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defra Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"The welfare of the employees working at the Bernard Matthews turkey farm and their families must be our key concern.

"There are also questions about the speed of response at each stage of the problem from the first identification of illness on Tuesday, to the official notification on Thursday, and the confirmation of the virus type on Saturday.

"The cull itself seems to have been organised quickly and effectively.

"The causes of the outbreak are still mysterious. We need to look at what types of poultry farming are least susceptible to this type of virus."