Consultation on 2007 Annual Review of Defra's Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases
Dear Consultee
21 July 2008
Consultation on 2008 Annual Review of Defra’s Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases
The Animal Health Act 1981 requires the National Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plan and the Avian Influenza (AI) and Newcastle Disease (ND) Contingency Plan to be reviewed, and, where appropriate, revised at least annually and laid before Parliament.
To meet this requirement, Defra has commenced an annual review of its Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases which incorporates a Framework Response Plan outlining roles and responsibilities together with systems and structures in place for responding to an outbreak of exotic animal disease; and an Overview of Emergency Preparedness, which provides more detailed information relating to our emergency preparedness work and operational arrangements for response.
The Contingency Plan covers arrangements for responding to outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza, Newcastle Disease, Classical Swine Fever, African Swine Fever, Swine Vesicular Disease, Rabies, Bluetongue, and certain specified types of equine exotic diseases (e.g. Glanders, Dourine, Infectious Anaemia and Equine Encephalomyelitis of all types).
The plan was last laid before Parliament on 10 December 2007. The main changes from this version, made as part of the current review, are attached.
Section 14A of the Animal Health Act requires that organisations representative of those with an interest in the arrangements be consulted on national contingency plans.
To meet this requirement, I should like to invite your organisation’s views and comments on this revised version of the plan. The consultation package can be viewed in PDF form together with other relevant documents:
- Consultation letter
- List of consultees
- Defra's Framework Response Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases (PDF 660 KB)
- Defra's Overview of Emergency Preparedness for Exotic Animal Diseases (PDF 459 KB)
- Table of changes from the previous version (PDF 29 KB)
Hard copies of the documents will be made available upon request. You should be aware that the Framework Response Plan is 140 pages long and the Overview of Emergency Preparedness is 66 pages long.
You are welcome to comment on any aspect of the Contingency Plan.
We would be grateful to receive any comments you may have on the Plan by 10 October 2008. We intend to maintain the Contingency Plan as a living document. It will be subject to regular review and updates. Therefore there may be further changes to the structure and content of the plan over the coming months. A version building upon comments received will be laid before Parliament during December 2008.
It would be helpful if your contribution could be submitted electronically to the e-mail address below, though hard copy contributions sent to the following address will, of course, be accepted.
Brian Sullivan
Defra - Animal Health Contingency Planning Division
Area 5C
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Tel: 020 7238 5172
Fax: 020 7238 1250
Email: AHHQContingencyPlanning@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk
In line with Defra's policy of openness, at the end of the consultation period copies of the responses we receive may be made publicly available through the Defra Information Resource Centre, Lower Ground Floor, Ergon House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR. The information they contain may also be published in a summary of responses.
If you do not consent to this, you must clearly request that your response be treated confidentially. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system in e-mail responses will not be treated as such a request. You should also be aware that there may be circumstances in which Defra will be required to communicate information to third parties on request, in order to comply with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations.
The Information Resource Centre will supply copies of consultation responses to personal callers or in response to telephone or e-mail requests (tel: 020 7238 6575, e-mail: defra.library@defra.gsi.gov.uk). Wherever possible, personal callers should give the library at least 24 hours' notice of their requirements. An administrative charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage costs.
A list of consultees is attached for your information. If you are aware of any other organisation or individuals who would like to participate in this consultation please let Brian Sullivan know so that a copy of these papers can be sent to them. The consultation package can be viewed at the Defra internet site.
If you have any comments about the conduct of this consultation exercise please contact Marjorie Addo, the Departmental Consultation Coordinator at Room 7C, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1 3JR, email: consultation.coordinator@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Yours faithfully
Brian Sullivan
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Page published: 21 July 2007