Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Report – Vets and Veterinary Services

Telephone: 020 7904 6126
Email: ...
Website www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ahws/strategy.htm

Date 16 January 2004

Dear Stakeholder

House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Report – Vets and Veterinary Services

I am writing to seek your views on the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Sixteenth Report – Vets and Veterinary Services, published on 15 October 2003. The Committee was tasked to examine 4 particular areas –

What impact current levels of farm income are having on the usage of veterinary services; and, in turn, what effect any reduction in the usage of such services is having on the number of practices dealing with large (farm) animals;

What effect any reduction in the usage of veterinary services and a shortage of large animal vets is having on health and welfare standards, and on the effectiveness of surveillance for animal diseases;

Whether the requirements placed on farmers by Government, including those in the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, are realisable in such circumstances; and

What is the impact on the work of the State Veterinary Service
The report was summarised by the Committee;

"Although there are sufficient vets in total, there are concerns about whether there are enough large animal practitioners. The economics of farming is leading to less use of veterinary services and is further reducing the attractiveness of large animal practice.

At the same time the Government's animal health and welfare and veterinary surveillance strategies appear to require a greater on-farm presence of veterinary surgeons.

Defra needs to be aware of the impact its strategies and changes to food safety rules will have on current and future demand for veterinary surgeons. The Department should also address the supply of vets by, for example, reviewing its funding of veterinary research which underpins teaching. It should also work with the veterinary colleges to examine other aspects of training.

The State Veterinary Service has a key role to play in delivering the animal health and welfare and veterinary surveillance strategies. It must bring forward appropriate policies, and it must also improve its links with private sector vets to ensure that all those who play a part in improving the animal health and welfare of the nation are equipped to do so."

The full report produced by the Committee contains conclusions and a number of recommendations (which are attached as an annex to this letter), as well as minutes of proceedings, and oral and written evidence , and is available from TSO (The Stationary Office) shops, or the Parliamentary Bookshop, 12 Bridge Street, Parliament Square, London, SW1A 2JX, and on the Internet at –

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmenvfru/703/70304.htm

Defra is required to respond to the report, and the Committee have agreed to allow Defra to report later this year, to enable effective consultation with stakeholders through a working group, and to utilise the information provided by the ongoing Animal Health and Welfare Strategy and the Strategy for Enhancing Veterinary Surveillance in the UK. We would value comments and views on the Committee recommendations, particularly within the context of the existing consultation exercises on the Implementation Plan for England for the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy.

The deadline for all comments is 09 April 2004.

Email responses can be sent to ... or by post to:

Veryan Nicholls
Animal Health and Welfare Strategy Unit,
Defra,
Rm 103,
1A Page Street,
London SW1P 4PQ.

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 they 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.

I look forward to hearing your views

Kind regards