Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) is furious over a funding foul-up by ministers. Councils have been told they must cut their animal health budgets, used to fight foot-and-mouth disease and bluetongue, after being promised £9.77m from DEFRA, when only £8.5m was available. LACORS has reacted angrily to the demand that councils, rather than DEFRA, foot the bill for the mistake. Large rural councils will have to cut 12% from their annual animal health budgets within the last five months of the financial year.
