The Animal Health Act 1981 (c. 22) is a piece of UK legislation that provides powers for the control of outbreaks of avian influenza and Newcastle disease.^[1] These powers were extended by a statutory instrument.^[2] It was amended by the Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984. It was amended in 2002 to provide more powers to deal with foot and mouth disease, a problem that in 2001 bedevilled herds during the Blair ministry.^[3][4]

The act provides for:^[3]

• 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