Animal health and welfare

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Responsibility and cost sharing for animal health and welfare

The overriding objective of sharing animal health and welfare responsibilities between industry and Government is to achieve better management of animal disease risks so that the overall risks and costs are reduced. This work has the potential to fundamentally change the relationship between industry and Government to the benefit of both. Through the sharing of responsibilities, industry will be able to take greater responsibility for its own decisions and will have greater ownership of the risks. In addition, responsibility sharing will provide opportunities for improved regulation and a reduction in the regulatory burden in future. Government will benefit from increased industry involvement in decision making, which should mean a greater ability to respond and deliver outcomes more effectively and efficiently.

In order to maximise the benefits this work will need commitment from both industry and Government to work in a true partnership to address how decisions relating to animal health and welfare activities are made and how costs are apportioned.

Key documents

Workshops

A series of workshops on Responsibility and Cost Sharing were held across England during February and March 2008. Further information is available here.

2009 Consultation

As part of the consultation process on a new governance and funding structure for animal health launched in March 2009, Defra is holding a series of events across England in May and June.  These will allow animal keepers and other interested parties to hear first-hand the Government’s proposals, and will also provide the opportunity to let Defra hear the views those who will be affected by the proposed changes.

Further information and a registration form (PDF 83KB) are available here.

UK Responsibility and Cost Sharing Consultative Forum

We established this group of key stakeholders to help develop policy on Responsibility and Cost Sharing. The UK Consultative Forum met for the first time on 6 December 2006, and membership details and papers from later meetings are available.

Latest news

30 March 2009 - The consultation on a new independent body for animal health: A modern governance and funding structure for tackling animal diseases was published today.

If you have any queries about responsibility and cost sharing, or feedback on these web pages, please email: rcsharing@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

Page last modified: 30 April, 2009
Page published: 11 December, 2006

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs