This is because the quality of some pig and poultry applications for IPPC permits have been poor. The Environment Agency envisages it will need to carry out a lot of advisory work on some farm before they meet the standards required by IPPC.

The Agency estimates it may have to carry out two or three visits to these farms before they will be IPPC-compliant.

The Agency has also indicated it intends to carry out at least one inspection a year itself for the next five years. So even when an assurance scheme bolt-on is available, it will be in addition to the Agency inspection, not instead of it.

However, at some point in the future the Agency may agree to alternate annual inspections - assurance scheme one year, Agency the next.