Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Defra's Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Contingency Plan

The Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease (England and Wales) Order 2003 extended to these diseases some of the powers introduced for Foot and Mouth Disease by the Animal Health Act 2002.

Section 18 of the Animal Health Act 2002 requires that the appropriate authority must prepare a document (the national contingency plan) indicating the arrangements the authority intends to put in place for the purpose of dealing with any occurrence of foot and mouth disease or such other disease as the authority by order specifies.

To meet this requirement, we have prepared an Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Contingency Plan which will be laid before Parliament at the end of March 2004. A plan has been drawn up (attached at Annex A), based on Defra's Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plan, which was drawn up to provide the framework for dealing with any exotic animal disease.

Section 18 also requires that organisations representative of those with an interest in the arrangements be consulted on national contingency plans.

To meet this requirement, I should like to invite your organisation's views and comments on the draft Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Contingency Plan.

You are welcome to comment on any aspect of the Contingency Plan, although you should be aware that separate consultations have either taken place, are taking place or will take place on some issues including the biosecurity guidance and Disease Control (Slaughter) Protocol.

This list is not exhaustive. Other consultations may also be carried out. Consultation exercises are published on Defra's website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/default.asp

The Contingency Plan:

1. explains the structures, roles and responsibilities at strategic and tactical levels to ensure a robust framework for the response to a disease outbreak and in order to support the operations on the ground;
 
2. establishes arrangements for the rapid provision of staff which is the key element to the successful ramping-up of local and national structures. DEFRA will maintain close links with Government Offices in the Regions and other Government Departments (including Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat) in order to achieve this. The plan requires the maintenance of lists of key staff;

3. summarises the disease control policies that would be followed;

4. incorporates appropriate Health and Safety Guidance and Biosecurity guidance;
 
5. highlights the facilities, resources and stores necessary to deal with an outbreak;

6. includes guidance on the release of data during an outbreak;

7. anticipates the establishment of a Mobile Assurance Team whose role will be to assure quality of local structures and processes and capture critical management information in Local Disease Control Centres;

8. calls for clear involvement with operational partners including the Environment Agency, Local Authorities, Police and Government Offices in the Regions and poultry and farming organisations.
 
We should be grateful to receive any comments you may have on the Plan by Friday 20 February 2004. We intend to maintain the Contingency Plan as a living document. It will be subject to regular review and updates.

It would be helpful if your contribution could be submitted electronically to the e-mail address below, though hard copy contributions sent to the following address will, of course, be accepted.

Susan Ivory
1a Page Street
London
SW1P 4PQ
 
Tel: 020 7904 8476
Fax: 020 7904 8155

E-mail: ...

In line with Defra's policy of openness, at the end of the consultation period, copies of the responses we receive may be made publicly available through the Defra Information Resource Centre, Lower Ground Floor, Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR. The information the responses contain may also be published in a summary of responses.

If you do not consent to this, you must clearly request that your response be treated confidentially. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system in e-mail responses will not be treated as such a request. The Information Resource Centre will supply copies of consultation responses to personal callers or in response to telephone or e-mail requests (tel: 020 7238 6575, e-mail: ...). Wherever possible, personal callers should give the library at least 24 hours' notice of their requirements. An administrative charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage costs.

A list of consultees is attached for your information at Annex B. If you are aware of any other organisation or individuals who would like to participate in this consultation please let Susan Ivory know so that a copy of these papers can be sent to them. This consultation letter and a copy of the Contingency Plan will be published on the Defra Internet site at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/avian-newcastle/index.htm.

If you have any comments about the conduct of this consultation exercise please contact Lewis Baker, the Departmental Consultation Coordinator at Room 547, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR, E-mail ....

Yours faithfully

Ann Waters
Direct Line GTN 3290 6289
Fax 3290 8286
Email ...

AVIAN INFLUENZA AND NEWCASTLE DISEASE
CONTINGENCY PLAN CONSULTATION LIST

3663 – First for Food Service
ACPO
ACRE
Addington Trust
Agricultural Development & Advisory Service (ADAS)
Animal Health Distributors Association
ARC
ASDA
Association of British Abattoir Operators
Association of Cheese Processors
Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS)
Associations of Veterinarians in Industry
Assured British Meat (ABM)
Biodynamic Agricultural Association of GB
Border Beef Co-operative
Brecon Beacons and The Welsh Association of National Parks
British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC)
British Association of Leisures, Piers and Attractions (Zoos Group) British Bankers Association
British Camelids Society
British Cattle Veterinary Association
British Chamber of Commerce
British Chamber of Commerce London Office
British Chicken
British Deer Farmers Association
British Deer Society, The
British Domesticated Ostrich Association (BDOA)
British Egg Industry Council (BEIC)
British Food Export – Food for Britain
British Free Range Egg Producers Association
British Goat Society
British Horse Society
British Hospitality Association
British Meat Federation
British Meat Manufacturers Association
British Meat Processor's Association (BMPA)
British Milksheep Society
British Pig Association
British Poultry Council (BPC)
British Retail Consortium
British Small Animal Veterinary Association
British Starch Industry Association
British Veterinary Association
British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) Avian Enterprise Head (Europe) British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) BVPA Secretariat
British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) O'Kane Poultry Group Cabinet Office
Cadbury Schweppes plc
Central Association of Agricultural Valuers
Chicken Rescue Centre, The
Chilled Food Association
Confederation of British Industry, Enterprise Group
Co-Operative Union
Co-operative Women's Guild
Copas Traditional Turkeys Ltd
Council for the Protection of Rural England
Country Land & Business Association
Country Landowners Association
Countryside Agency
Countryside Alliance
Countryside Council for Rural Wales
Dairy Crest
Dairy Industry Association
Dairy Industry Federation
Deer Initiative, The
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Department of Health
Department of Trade and Industry
Domestic Waterfowl Club of Great Britain, The (DWCGB)
East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum
East of England Rural Affairs Forum
English Heritage
English Nature
Environment Agency Head Office
ESA
European Research into Consumer Affairs
FARM (the independent voice of farmers)
Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb
Farm Retail Association
Farm Talking
Farmers First
Farmers Union of Wales (FUW)
Federation of Milk Groups
Federation of Small Businesses
Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland
FMD Forum
Food & Drink Federation
Food Commission, The
Food for Britain
Food Standards Agency
Foodaware
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
Forestry Commission (England)
Forum of Private Businesses, The
Freedom Food (RSPCA)
FUW Hill Farming & Marginal Land Committee
Game Conservancy Trust (GCT)
Game Farmers Association (GFA)
GO North West Environment & Rural Group
Government Offices in the Regions
Grampian Country Chickens (Rearing) Ltd
Grampian Country Food Group
Guild of Quality Butchers
Guild of Welsh Lamb & Beef Producers
Halal Food Authority
Hawk Board
HM Treasury
Housing Corporation
HSBC
Humane Slaughter Association
Institute of Grocery Distribution
International Meat Trade Association
J Sainsbury plc
Jersey Cattle Society
Job Centre Plus
LACORS
Law Labs (ALDI)
LGA
Licensed Animal Slaughterers and Salvage Association (LASSA)
Livestock Auctioneers Association
Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) Maltsters Association of Great Britain
Maplehurst Deer
Marks & Spencer
Mars Confectionery Limited
McDonalds
Meat and Livestock Commission
Ministry of Defence
MOD
National Association of British & Irish Millers (NABIM)
National Association of Catering Butchers
National Association of Local Councils
National Association of Womens Clubs
National Beef Association
National Consumer Council
National Council of Shechita Boards
National Council of Women of Great Britain
National Farm Attractions Network
National Farmers Union
National Farmers Union (NFU)
National Farmers Union of Scotland
National Federation of Meat and Food Trades
National Federation of Women's Institutes
National Foot & Mouth Group, The
National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO)
National Pig Association
National Renderers Association
National Sheep Association
National Trust
Natural Environment Research Council
NAWAD
Nestlé
North East Rural Affairs Forum
North Yorkshire Small Holders
PD Hook Ltd
Pet Food Manufacturers Association
Pig Veterinary Society
Poultry Club of Great Britain, The (PCGB)
Provision Trade Federation
Ramblers' Association
Rare Breeds International
Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Restaurant Association, The
Road Haulage Association
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Rural Advocate
Rural Payments Agency
Rural Shops Alliance
Rural Stress Action Plan Working Group
Safeway
SERAD
Sheep Trust, The
Sheep Veterinary Society
Slate Hall Veterinary Practice
Small Abattoirs Federation
Smallholders Forum
Snowdonia National Park
Soil Association
Somerfield
South East Rural Affairs Forum
South West Rural Affairs Forum
Southern Counties Fresh Foods Ltd
Sustain
Tenant Farmers Association
Tesco
Townswomens' Guilds
Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association
TUC
Turkey Club, The
UK Egg Producers Association
UK Renderers Association
UKAFFP + ICF
UKASTA (United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association)
UKROFS
Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
University of Bristol, Dept of Clinical Veterinary Science
Visit Britain
Waitrose Food Technology Department
Wales Tourism Association
Wales Tourist Board
Water UK
Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Livestock Auctioneers Association
Welsh Local Government Association
West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum
Yorkshire and the Humber Rural Affairs Forum