England Implementation Plan
Responsibility and cost sharing (RCS) is a key theme of the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (AHWS) for Great Britain, which calls for an appropriate balance of the costs of livestock health and welfare between industry and the taxpayer and a corresponding sharing of responsibilities. The Government’s RCS Programme has the potential to change fundamentally the relationship between industry and Government, to mutual benefit.
During 2007, the EIG and its RCS Subgroup has supported and challenged the emerging thinking on RCS. Defra is working in partnership with this Subgroup and the UK Consultative Forum of key industry and Government representatives to develop mechanisms through which responsibilities and costs could be shared.
Defra’s consultation on Responsibility and Cost Sharing for Animal Health and Welfare: Next Steps closed on 15 April 2008. This builds on the December 2006 consultation which agreed the principles of RCS. It has included a number of Regional Seminars, some of which were facilitated by the EIG.
A summary of response (PDF) to the consultation has been produced together with the outcomes of the series of workshops.
Now that the responses have been collated, Defra in partnership with the UK Consultative Forum and RCS Subgroup, will develop a proposal for an RCS mechanism as a basis for another consultation, planned for Autumn 2008. Pending Parliamentary timing, primary legislation to establish any RCS mechanism would be laid some time in 2009-10.
Page last modified:
8 July, 2008