Animal health & welfare strategy: Veterinary Services

Working Groups on Vets and Veterinary Services (including the EFRA committee response)

On the 23 October 2003, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee published a report on vets and veterinary services . The report, which included 21 conclusions and recommendations, focused on concerns that there were not enough large animal practitioners to meet Government needs in the future and to implement the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy.

The conclusions and recommendations of the report were wide ranging with particular concerns on the number of farm animal vets, the possible demands to be placed on the veterinary profession by a number of Government strategies, and the general relationship between Government and LVIs.

With the agreement of the EFRA Committee, Defra has developed its response to the report whilst it took forward a number of initiatives designed to provide better evidence on the key issues. The government response to the report has now been published by the EFRA Committee and is available on the EFRA website.

• News release 25 July 05: Pilot programme for lay TB testing
• News release 28 July 04: The veterinary profession faces challenges and opportunities.
• Consultation
• Evidence and reports
• Working group
• Q and A
• Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966