New animal health advisory group announced

Defra’s Food and Farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick has announced the establishment of a group which is being set up to advise on how best to develop a new independent body for animal health. He also announced that Rosemary Radcliffe will chair the joint industry and Government working group.

The NFU had proposed that a new working group was needed in its response to the government’s proposals on sharing cost and responsibility for animal disease outbreaks. In principal, the NFU is in favour of a new body if it is truly independent, but remains fundamentally opposed to cost sharing for exotic disease surveillance and preparedness.

NFU President Peter Kendall said: "This announcement is as a positive step towards developing a genuine partnership between Government and the livestock industry. However, we now need to see some clear terms of reference for the working group.

"We have argued in our response that a full review of Defra’s roles and responsibilities, and most importantly for the budgets involved in animal health policy and delivery, must take place at the earliest opportunity. We believe that an industry / government working group could fulfill this role".