DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (71/09) issued by
COI News Distribution Service on 30 March 2009
Decisions about
how to handle animal diseases would move to an independent body
under proposals announced for consultation by Environment
Secretary Hilary Benn today.
Mr Benn said the proposals would see a new independent board
established to make decisions about animal health policy and
delivery, made up of members with knowledge, experience and skills
in the livestock industry, animal health science and welfare and
relevant public health, consumer and wildlife issues.
In a disease outbreak, key decisions such as movement controls
will be made by the Chair and Chief Executive of the new
organisation, on the advice of the Chief Veterinary Officer.
Mr Benn said:
"Livestock owners are worst affected by disease outbreaks,
and they also benefit from disease control, where their
livestock might otherwise become infected.
"It's right that they should be more involved in making
decisions about how we prevent and handle those diseases, and
contribute to the costs of collective action to tackle disease threats.
"This new way of tackling animal disease, which builds on
how Government and the industry have worked together to deal with
bluetongue, will mean that everyone's investment in disease
control is more effectively and efficiently used. We should see a
reduction in the total levels and costs of these diseases."
The plans will help to reduce the risks and costs of animal
disease, improve confidence in animal health policies, and ensure
the livestock keepers who benefit from animal disease control
measures share the costs of those measures with taxpayers.
The new body will be responsible for dealing with exotic disease
outbreaks such as bluetongue, policy on endemic diseases such as
bovine TB, advising on the payment rates for animals culled as
part of disease control and controlling animal diseases which
pose a threat to public health.
The new body would be largely publicly funded, with a levy on
livestock keepers contributing to the costs of surveillance and
preparedness for exotic disease outbreaks. Views are also being
sought on compulsory insurance for livestock keepers to contribute
to the cost of dealing with exotic disease outbreaks.
The proposals are in line with recommendations made by Sir Iain
Anderson after his inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak in
2001 that those who gain from the eradication of these disease
should help to pay the costs of doing so.
The new body would have three main sources of funding: public
funding, fees and charges for services provided, and income from a
new levy paid by livestock farmers, according to the type and
number of animals they keep.
The Government currently spends £400 million each year on animal
health and welfare, which increases substantially when there are
disease outbreaks such as avian influenza. The cost to the farming
industry is also considerable, but currently the industry has no
decision-making powers over these policies and does not contribute
directly to the cost of co-ordinating disease control.
Under today's proposals, these costs would be shared between
different types of livestock keeping businesses and between the
beneficiaries of the successful reduction of risks and costs -
particularly between taxpayers and livestock keepers, taking
account of affordability.
The consultation responds to calls from the livestock industry to
change the way the Government makes decisions about animal health policy.
The new framework will build on the strengths of the current
system including the effective protection of public health, the
developing partnership working with industry, the veterinary and
scientific expertise of Defra and its agencies, and the delivery
capability of Animal Health.
Notes to editors
1. The consultation and accompanying documents are available at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/new-independent-body-ah/index.htm.
The consultation will run until 30 June 2009.
2. The proposals would require primary legislation, with a draft
Bill to be prepared based on responses to the consultation and
published for consultation in early 2010. The earliest the new
independent body could come into operation would be 2012.
3. The consultation covers England only although the new
organisation will take on the UK and GB responsibilities currently
undertaken by Defra. Defra is engaging closely with other UK
Agriculture and Rural Affairs departments to ensure continued
co-operation and co-ordination on animal disease policies.
4. The proposals do not relate to policy on animal welfare which
will continue to reside with Defra Ministers.
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