The Committee supports the Government’s commitment to “do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot and mouth”. The Committee welcomes efforts made so far, but concludes that there is more that Defra 36 could and should be doing to prevent animal diseases like foot and mouth and African swine fever. There is no encompassing strategy to tackle POAO smuggling and structures to facilitate inter-agency working are incomplete. Defra has not presented a convincing plan to address these issues. (Conclusion, Paragraph 42)