Budget slash alert over blunder

Shropshire County Council will have to make a cut of £17,000 to its budget for tackling foot and mouth and blue tongue disease this year because of a funding mistake by Defra, it was revealed today.

Animal health teams are facing cuts of up to 12 per cent because of a shortfall of more than £1 million between what councils were promised and cash available, the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) said.

Lacors, whose work includes overseeing local authority animal health services, said councils were promised a total of £9.77 million this financial year to fight animal disease following the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak.

But they have now been told only £8.5 million is available, with the overspend the result of Defra losing track of how much it had allocated to councils.

David Edwards, head of trading standards at Shropshire County Council, said today: "This cut is most unwelcome, particularly as it comes more than halfway through the year.

"We recognise the vital contribution agriculture makes to the county and the importance of our animal health and welfare service in guarding against diseases.

"We will need to look at how we can absorb this."

John Hurst-Knight, council cabinet member for trading standards said it was disappointing that councils were being asked to "pick up the pieces".

A Defra spokeswoman said: "The shortfall was drawn to the attention of Lacors in May and we have been working with them to resolve this."