The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Scotland) Order 2006

Tracing of possible disease spread

13.—(1) The Scottish Ministers shall declare premises (other than infected premises) to be suspect premises where the Chief Veterinary Officer (Scotland) suspects them of contamination from premises already declared to be suspect premises or from a suspected case of disease outside Scotland, and so advises the Scottish Ministers.

(2) The Scottish Ministers may declare premises to be suspect premises where the Chief Veterinary Officer (Scotland) is not reasonably able to exclude an epidemiological link with infected premises or with a confirmed case of the disease, and so advises the Scottish Ministers.

(3) The Scottish Ministers shall declare premises (other than infected premises or suspect premises) to be contact premises where the Chief Veterinary Officer (Scotland) advises either–

(a) that disease may have been carried there from any premises; or

(b) that disease may have been carried to any premises from there,

and in sub paragraphs (a) and (b) “premises” includes premises outside Scotland.

(4) Declarations under this article shall be by notice served on the occupier.

(5) The Scottish Ministers shall ensure that any premises declared to be suspect premises or contact premises under this article are subjected to investigation in accordance with article 11 as soon as is reasonably practicable.

(6) Where, following a declaration under article 12(1) premises are to be regarded as consisting of separate production units, the Scottish Ministers shall amend any declaration under paragraph (3) to specify to or from which units disease may have been carried and only those units so specified shall form the contact premises.

(7) Schedule 2 shall apply to suspect premises or contact premises declared under this article.