Scotland urges UK for animal health and welfare funding

 

 

The Scottish government and the farming industry have united behind the need for an acceptable deal on devolving animal health and welfare funding from the UK government.

 

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead met the Scottish farming industry to update on plans to devolve budgets and said the UK government must stop 'dragging its feet' on the issue.

 

Despite holding 12 meetings with the devolved administrations, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has yet to propose a workable solution.

 

A deal for devolving the animal health and welfare budgets was expected to be in place by April 2010.

 

Lochhead said: "There is widespread consensus that these budgets should be devolved, including the independent review of the last foot and mouth outbreak and the UK's own white paper on the Calman proposals. Working with the industry, devolution of these budgets would enable the Scottish government to further strengthen this country's international reputation for quality, boosting exports and profitability.

 

"Defra's handling of this situation leaves a lot to be desired and time is running out if a deal is to be agreed by April 2010. Beyond that the treasury squeeze on public spending means there may soon be no money left to devolve. However, our determination to move this issue forward is as strong as ever."

 

Services provided in Scotland by the Animal Health agency, the British Cattle Movement Service, the Meat Hygiene Service, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and animal welfare organisations are resourced from the GB animal health and welfare budgets.

 

These services are essential for the veterinary assessment, testing and tracing of livestock in order to identify, control and protect against disease. In addition, money is spent on a range of research, development and related services.

 

Although policy responsibility for animal health and welfare was part of the original devolution settlement, the budgets were not.

 

The Scudamore review of the 2007 Foot and Mouth Disease recommended that financial arrangements should be reviewed with intention of transferring budgets to Scottish government to implement its policies on control of exotic diseases.

 

The Scottish Parliament debated the report in October 2008 and concluded that the Scottish government should press the case for devolving a proportionate share of the GB budget, while preserving the right to access the UK Treasury reserve fund for disease outbreaks. Discussions have been ongoing with a view to budgets being devolved by April 2010.

 

The report of the Calman Commission also recommended that budgets be devolved but that disease outbreaks should continue to be funded by the Treasury.