Monday 23 February 2009

Safety Down The Drain

A government U-turn has forced scientists to scale back plans to replace the crumbling Surrey laboratory that triggered the foot and mouth outbreak in 2007.
So much for rigourous standards of health and safety. ‘Close enough for government work’ indeed…
The environment department, Defra, has scrapped a pledge to fund a major redevelopment of the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) lab at Pirbright, where a leaky drain allowed the disease to escape. Experts say that the move threatens Britain's ability to combat the rising threat of animal diseases that will arrive with global warming, and goes against a key recommendation of an inquiry set up by ministers into the 2007 outbreak.

Defra says that costs have risen and the project is now too expensive.
Well, if the government are short of money, why not start by axing this non-job?
The Director of Digital Engagement role requires the successful candidate to develop strategies to communicate with people on popular internet sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter.

The Senior Civil Service position has a starting salary of £120,000 plus 30 days annual holiday but could rise to £160,000 - more than the Chief Whip, Cabinet Minister and Lord Chancellor get before allowances.
We can afford to risk another outbreak of FMD, but the government just has to have a hugely-expensive ‘Twittercrat’ to pump out even more propaganda across the net?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have this mental image of the architect looking at the newly-completed Great Pyramid of Giza, and grunting "Good enough for government work."

Dr Evil said...

All this bunch of retards has to do is vaccinate every animal that can contract FMD. They won't though because of farmers' opposition to it as every animal will have antibodies against the virus. But since they will be fit and well, not emaciated and have a certificate, WTF can't they be exported? Farmers need to enter the 21st century. As do government. Burning them in pyres was never the right thing to do.

JuliaM said...

"Farmers need to enter the 21st century. As do government. Burning them in pyres was never the right thing to do."

We shouldn't burn governments on pyres? Well, damn... ;)

Anonymous said...

There are restrictions on exports of vaccinated animals. Vaccinated does not mean that they do not carry the disease, or that they cannot then spread the disease.