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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
- Joint industry and government working group announced to advise on how best to develop the body which will oversee responsibility and cost sharing (Defra news release, 7 July 2009)
- Animal Health and Welfare Strategy 2004 (PDF 1.28 MB) aims to develop a new partnership between Government and the farming industry
- Partners for success: a farm regulation and charging strategy (PDF 980 KB) repeats Government’s commitment to working in partnership with the farming industry
- The Commission are currently looking at cost sharing in the context of the 2007-2013 Community Animal Health Policy
- EIG responsibility and cost sharing (RCS) subgroup.
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 and workshops
As part of the consultation process on a new governance and funding structure for animal health launched in March 2009, Defra held a series of events across England in May and June. These allowed animal keepers and other interested parties to hear first-hand the Government’s proposals, and also provided the opportunity for Defra to hear the views of those who will be affected by the proposed changes.
- Summary of the responses to the consultation
- Defra presentation used at the regional events (PDF 40KB)
- Explanation and outputs of the workshop exercises at the regional events (PDF 280KB)
- Output from the post-it note “your message to defra” exercise (PDF 90KB)
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
18 November 2009 - As announced in the Draft Legislative Programme, the Government intends to bring forward a draft Animal Health Bill, which would establish a new independent body for animal health in England. We aim to publish the bill in early January in good time for the end of the session. The Government is looking to develop appropriate mechanisms which will focus on behavioural change and will also help share the responsibilities and costs between Government and the farming industry for animal disease control.
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:
18 November, 2009
Page published: 11 December, 2006