Animal Health Act 1981
The Animal Health Act 1981 is a piece of UK legislation that provides powers for the control of outbreaks of avian influenza and Newcastle disease. These powers were extended by a statutory instrument. It was amended by the Animal [Health and Welfare Act 1984]. It was Animal [Health Act 2002|amended in 2002] to provide more powers to deal with foot and [mouth disease], a problem that in 2001 2001 [United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak|bedevilled herds] during the Blair ministry.
The act provides for:
- slaughter of diseased poultry, poultry suspected of disease, poultry exposed to disease and poultry which the government thinks should be slaughtered to prevent the spread of disease
- payment of compensation for birds that are slaughtered but are not diseased.
- publication of a slaughter protocol prior to exercising the power to impose a preventive or firebreak cull. Emergency vaccination would have to be considered prior to any cull, and, if not used, the reasons would have to be published.
- powers for veterinary inspectors to enter premises to ascertain whether disease anti-bodies exist, whether any animal is or was infected with disease and whether any causative agent of disease is present
- publication of biosecurity guidance
- preparation and review of a national contingency plan