The Department of Agriculture's foot-and-mouth contingency plan allows for stringent controls in an area where foot-and-mouth has been confirmed.
This plan has been approved by the European Commission. Restrictions vary, depending on the circumstances. Officials are granted whatever powers they need to "establish what the situation is on the ground", but there are "no hard and fast rules", the Department says.
A central protection zone, generally 3 km, is set up around the infected area, where the most severe restrictions apply. Likely measures are no movement of animals, vehicles or, perhaps, people; no movement of feed or milk; no artificial insemination.
A wider surveillance zone, usually 10 km around the infected area, allows less severe restrictions. With a suspected outbreak in the UK, its Ministry of Agriculture declares an "infected area" extending a minimum of 10 km. Movements on or off the farm are controlled by police or inspectors. The Ministry disinfects the farm and slaughters the animals.
Animals from neighbouring farms exposed to the disease are also slaughtered.
The following restrictions generally apply within an infected area:
Stock must not be moved.
Markets may only be permitted in the infected area under licence.
Manure, litter and slurry must not be moved out of an infected area.
Milk produced from a premises in an infected area can only be fed to animals on the same premises.
Vehicles for livestock must be disinfected.
Dogs must be kept under control.
Special precautions are in place for people dipping or clipping sheep.
Gatherings of farmers are avoided.