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Defra has announced plans to form a new Animal Health and Welfare Board for England which will bring experts including farmers, veterinary surgeons, welfare experts and others from outside Government together with the Chief Veterinary Officer and civil servants to make direct policy recommendations on policy affecting the health and welfare of all kept animals such as farm animals, horses and pets.
According to Agriculture Minister Jim Paice, it is the first time that people affected by Government policy on animal health and welfare will make recommendations on those policies directly to Ministers.
Mr Paice said: "This is a completely new way of working. It replaces the old ways, where the people most affected by decisions were kept at arm's length from policy making on those subjects.
"This is about the Big Society not just existing in our communities, but in the heart of Government - helping to put the decisions in the hands of those who are doing the work on the ground.
"We've already seen the success of a partnership between farmers and the Government with the work that's been done on bluetongue - which has seen the disease virtually eradicated in this country."
Final decisions on animal health and welfare policy will remain in the hands of Government Ministers.
The Board will be made up of around 12 members, 5 senior Defra officials including the Chief Veterinary Officer, and 7-8 external members including the chair. The external members will have experience and knowledge of kept and farmed animals, animal and veterinary science, and animal welfare, and could be farmers, veterinarians, animal welfare experts.
The Board and its members will have to represent the views of all stakeholders so will be expected to communicate with them regularly.
The Board's responsibilities will include:
The Board will not be set up as a non departmental public body or arms length body. It will form part of the internal structure of Defra.
Commenting on the announcement, Harvey Locke, President of the British Veterinary Association, said: "The BVA is delighted that both the Advisory Group and Ministers have taken note of the veterinary profession's views in drawing up these plans.
"We said from the outset that genuine responsibility sharing has to be achieved before cost sharing can be discussed and we warned against earlier plans to separate animal health policy from animal welfare policy, as the two are intrinsically linked.
"Animal health and welfare policy issues require expert, scientific input and it will be essential that the new Board includes veterinary representation. We believe that the Board will provide the right mechanism for ensuring decisions are based on sound science.
"The new Board will also have to work closely with the three devolved administrations to ensure that animal health and welfare policies across the UK are joined up and complementary."
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