The decision to vaccinate from the start of any future foot-and-mouth outbreak vindicates the pro-vaccination stand taken by this column throughout last year's crisis.

But merely to say "I told you so" is a waste of precious space. What needs highlighting is the timing of the Government's announcement - a statement by Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett late at night, crucially too late for the television news.

Next day it had to fight for attention with fresh news - on Burrell, Iraq and other "breaking" stories. Unsurprisingly it lost. Not even Channel 4, which most vigorously questioned the culling policy last year, reported the Government's change of heart.

Though this newspaper commendably found space for the announcement on its front page, what was essentially the end of the foot-and-mouth saga slipped by almost unnoticed. And since the new policy, which also includes curtailment of compensation paid to farmers, amounts to a humiliating admission of failure by the Government, no doubt Margaret Beckett and her Defra department congratulated themselves on a mission accomplished - awkward news released with minimum damage. And they wonder why people are cynical about politics.

NOW some observations Royals - obligatory at the moment. I always supposed the reason the Queen, approaching 77, still has the legs of a woman half her age is that she has had a physically easy life. Now that we know she routinely stands for three hours in conversation with domestic staff we can only marvel at the shapeliness of the regal pins.

After opening a new Pringle shop on Bond Street, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, spent a full hour choosing items for herself, chiefly outdoor gear. One of her staff explained: "It's winter and the Princess wants to keep warm.'' Perhaps the sum she spent to achieve this, £10,000, can be the benchmark for the winter fuel payment to pensioners.

Sixth in line to the throne, Princess Eugenie, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, has just had a successful operation to straighten her spine. The 12-year-old was seven hours under the knife. Though the operation was planned well in advance, neither the Duke or Duchess were even in Britain when it took place.

Just a month or so after returning from their long summer holiday, MPs broke up again last Thursday - so they can reassemble for the Queen's Speech today. Is an annual opening of Parliament needed? The Government sets out its manifesto before it is elected. It is free to introduce Bills on any issue any time. If some kind of formal annual programme is thought necessary, why can't it be presented as a Government statement? But the confusing break soon after Parliament has resumed should be scrapped.

A US project to save the California condor has fallen foul of litter. The first chicks hatched in the wild since 1984 have died through ingesting bottle caps, shards of glass, electric fixtures, screws and washers - all fed to the chicks by their parents in mistake for bone fragments. The human race - worst species on the planet.