About VLA

VLA is an Executive Agency of Defra and provides a wide range of applied research, consultancy, diagnosis and surveillance on livestock diseases to the Government and all sectors of the livestock health industry and the private sector.

 

We are a laboratory network with a main site near Weybridge in Surrey, 15 Regional Laboratories in the UK and two Surveillance Centres at the veterinary schools in London and Liverpool.

 

Our services are delivered to our customers via science programmes and projects that span the wide ranging scientific disciplines in VLA.

Management

The VLA Owners Advisory Board (VOAB) was appointed by Defra in April 2007 and is chaired by the CVO, also the Corporate Owner of VLA, on behalf of the Defra Management Board. The Board advises the Corporate Owner on their role in relation to the strategic direction of VLA and monitoring performance.

The members of VOAB during 2007/08:

• Debby Reynolds - Defra CVO
  (until November 2007)
• Fred Landeg - Defra CVO
  (from November 2007)
• Andrew Burchell - Defra Service Transformation Group
• Steve Edwards - VLA Chief Executive
• Chris Gaskell - Defra Science Advisory Council
• Anne Grocock - University of Oxford
• Nigel Brown - Director of Science & Technology, BBSRC
• David Smith - External Member
• Chris Morrey (in attendance) - VLA Business Director

VLA’s Strategy Management Group (SMG) sets the long-term vision, aims and objectives for VLA. It is also responsible for the Agency meeting its Ministerial performance targets, achieving continual improvement and delivering real benefits to our customers and wider stakeholders. It also sets the long-term vision, aims and objectives for VLA.

The members of SMG during 2007/08:

• Steve Edwards - Chief Executive
  (on secondment to Animal Health from March 2008)
• Chris Morrey - Business Director
  (Acting Chief Executive from March 2008)
• Chris Thorns - Science Director
• Roger Hancock - Veterinary Director
• Jane Goodger - Laboratory Secretary
  (temporary member while Chris Morrey was Acting Chief Executive)
• David Deacon - Finance Director
  (temporary member while Chris Morrey was Acting Chief Executive)
• John Preston - External Member