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Avian influenza (bird flu)
Avian influenza is a highly infectious notifiable disease affecting many species of birds, including commercial, wild and pet birds.
If you find one or more dead swans/wild fowl (ducks and geese); more than 3 dead birds of the same species or more than 5 dead birds of different species, in the same place, you should contact the Defra Helpline (08459 33 55 77).
For more information visit the following websites: www.defra.gov.uk and www.ukresilience.gov.uk
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Real Time News Feed
Current
UK news stories from the BBC |
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| What is Pandemic Flu? |
Further Information |
Flu that spreads rapidly to affect almost all countries and regions around the world.
Flu pandemics occur when a new strain of influenza virus appears, which most people have no immunity to. Flu pandemics generally affect more people, cause more severe illness and result in much more serious disruption to society than the ‘ordinary’ flu we see in the UK each winter.
Flu pandemics have occurred every few decades. There were three flu pandemics in the last century. |
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Civil Contingencies Act 2004
- The Act sets out the roles and responsibilities of local responders, ensuring consistency in civil protection activity and enhancing performance.
- These clear expectations and responsibilities should help to ensure that the front line can deal with the full range of emergencies, from localised major incidents through to catastrophic emergencies.
For more information about the Act please see the following websites:
CCA Short Guide can be downloaded from:
http://www.ukresilience.info/ccact/15mayshortguide.pdf
The final Regulations can be downloaded from:
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Freedom of Information
Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives
you a general right of access to information held by
public authorities. It is intended to promote
a culture of openness and accountability amongst public
sector bodies, and therefore to facilitate better public
understanding of how public authorities carry out their
duties, why they make the decisions they do, and how
they spend public money.
That Act allows you:
To know if information exists
- To have it supplied on written request (which includes
emails)
What we must do:
Maintain a Publication Scheme, which sets
out the information that we will routinely make available. Tyne
and Wear Emergency Planning Unit's Publication Scheme is
part of the Publication Scheme of the Tyne and Wear
Fire and Rescue Service.
- Tell you whether we hold the information requested
and provide it or explain why it has not been provided,
quoting the relevant exemption under the Act.
- Reply to you within 20 working days.
- Advise and assist you to make your request. We
may contact you to clarify your request.
- Although there will be no charge for information
that costs Tyne and Wear Emergency Planning Unit
less than £450 to retrieve and collate, we
may request a fee if this limit is exceeded. If you
do not wish to pay the fee, we can refuse to supply
the information.
More information about
the Freedom of Information Act can be found at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
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