Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Chief Veterinary Officer's 2006 annual report published

Chief Veterinary Officer's 2006 annual report published

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (138/07) issued by The Government News Network on 18 May 2007

Today's report, by the Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Debby Reynolds, summarises progress and developments in the field of animal health and welfare during the last calendar year. It also defines progress in relation to the five strategic principles of the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, as well as being a continuous statistical record of the state of animal disease.

Topics covered in the 2006 report include the Animal Welfare Act which received Royal Assent and has now come into force, Exercise Hawthorn and the incidents of avian influenza in Scotland and Norfolk, and the establishment of the UK Responsibility and Cost Sharing Consultative Forum.

Other major areas covered in the report are:
* The Eves review of the Animal Health and Welfare Delivery Landscape
* The creation of the National Wildlife Crime Unit
* Bovine TB, including the introduction of pre-movement testing and extension of the use of gamma interferon testing
* Bluetongue in northern Europe, which signaled a development in the distribution of the virus
* An incident of Newcastle Disease on a partridge farm
* The continuing decline in the number of BSE cases

Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Debby Reynolds said:
"I am pleased to say that one of the key themes evident throughout 2006 was a successful and collaborative working relationship with our stakeholders. From the UK Responsibility and Cost Sharing Consultative Forum to the National Fallen Stock Scheme, this partnership approach has directly lead to significant developments in animal health and welfare."

Notes to editors
1. The annual report is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/cvo/report/index.htm

2. The Report of the Chief Veterinary Officer - Animal Health 2006 has today been laid in the House of Commons library. It is available free of charge from Defra's Publications Unit (Tel: 08459 556000)

3. The Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/default.htm

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