Chief Vet’s Report is mixed bag, says CLA

The Chief Veterinary Officer's report is a mixed bag - following a tough year of losses from inadequate animal disease policy and the knock-on from government's own failed security at the Pirbright Laboratory, says the CLA.

The rural economy experts praised outgoing Chief Vet Fred Landeg's hard work while saying it was clear from the Pirbright debacle that his successor, Nigel Gibbens, has considerable work to do to get the Government to accept responsibility for disease outbreaks where Government management has failed.

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "With the enthusiastic take-up of the blue tongue vaccination campaign, the new Chief Vet should rest assured that the industry is in favour of proportionate well-targeted programmes. In particular, we will strongly support those measures considered necessary to deal with bovine TB in wildlife while continuing, where appropriate, the already strict controls on TB in cattle."

The CLA President added: "If Nigel Gibbens can avoid getting bogged down in bureaucratic excess and political expediency, the industry will be grateful."