Although more animals will be allowed to move between farms, livestock markets will remain banned this autumn, the government announced yesterday.

Lord Whitty, the new food and rural affairs minister, said that the changes are an "extension" rather than a relaxation, and have been designed to avoid welfare problems during the autumn when animals are traditionally moved from high ground to more sheltered areas.

"We were hoping that we could move to a slightly more relaxed regime, but the resistance of the disease and scientific advice leads us to conclude that the risk is too high," he said.

Of the latest outbreak in Northumberland, where the number of cases rose to thirteen yesterday, Lord Whitty said the government "always said there would be sparks arising at the tail of the disease's progress. It's nonetheless a serious situation and a setback".