Agriculture Ministry officials were sent scurrying like rabbits
from a parliamentary select committee yesterday, after being
reprimanded by chairman and former schoolteacher Jonathan Hunt.
The regulations review select committe had met to consider a
regulation passed last month to legalise the rabbit calicivirus disease.
But the officials, including legal services manager George Capes
and science policy director Peter Kettle, provided background information
on the topic only yesterday morning.
Mr Hunt scolded them for not giving the committe enough time to
read the material.
"That's hijacking the committee and I don't approve of it", he said.
The officials were unceremoniously kicked out into Parliaments
warren-like corridors only minutes after arriving, with strict instructions
not to return til next week.
Mr Capes said he was surprised at the reaction, as the information
had been provided as a courtesy and had not been asked for.
"We thought we were being helpful".
However, he said he had to admit he had not fully read the information
either.