Response To RCS
Defra's Responsibility and Cost Sharing (RCS) Advisory Group on Monday published its recommendations to Ministers on how the responsibilities and costs of improving animal health and welfare can be shared. Ministers will respond to the recommendations in Spring 2011.The report is available on the Defra website: http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/animals/diseases/sharing/
One key recommendation of the report was to create a new Partnership Board, bringing together Defra officials and external members from various sectors including the farming sector.
The Horse Trust welcomes the report, but is concerned that the equine industry may not get a place on this Partnership Board, despite the contribution it makes to the UK economy.
"The report is welcomed. The report thankfully reinforces the inseparability of health and welfare and endorses the path that the horse industry and Government embarked on a few years ago with collaboration as the cornerstone," said Paul Jepson, Specialist Policy Consultant at The Horse Trust.
"The proposed Partnership Board of industry experts and Defra to drive policy and strategy for the whole animal sector is of concern. It seems unlikely that the horse industry will merit a seat at the top table of this board despite contributing an estimated £7billion to the UK economy," said Jepson.
Equine welfare charities, such as The Horse Trust, which leads the Equine Health and Welfare Strategy group (www.equinehealthandwelfarestrategy.co.uk), have led the way in developing a strategy to improve equine health and welfare.
"The burden of formulating and implementing strategy to improve health and welfare already falls heavily on the equine industry, primarily the welfare charity sector and BEVA. This is manifest in the Equine Health and Welfare Strategy which was launched with the support of Defra and its devolved government partners in 2007," said Jepson.
The RCS Advisory Group has rejected the idea of a general animal disease levy, which is great news for horse owners.
"Horse owners will be delighted at the report’s rejection of the proposed levy on animal owners to fund national health and welfare programmes. The equestrian world was not at all clear what this revenue would be used for and the report recognises the difficulties and cost of collection. Interestingly horse owners in Holland have welcomed a similar proposal to pay a levy towards a fund to combat disease outbreaks," said Jepson.
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