Written Question · S6W-20081 · Session 6
In light of the recommendation in its publication, Extension to the Review of Field Delivery of Animal Health Services in Scotland, that co…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in its publication,
Extension to the Review of Field Delivery of Animal Health Services in Scotland, that consideration should be given to "import checks including border
inspection post operations" being delivered by the Scottish Veterinary
Service (SVS), where it anticipates that any such border inspection posts would
be located; what assessment it has made of (a) the cost implications of this
function being delivered by the SVS and (b) how the SVS delivering this
function would improve the service to the public and industry; what discussions
it has had with the UK Government regarding the removal of this function from
the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency, and what its position is on whether
there are any implications for the UK Government’s reserved responsibility for
external affairs of the transfer of this function to the proposed SVS.
The answer
The Scottish Government is committed to the creation of a Scottish Veterinary Service (SVS) to ensure there are highly trained staff to provide Scotland with good animal health and food safety to meet all our needs across the public and private sector for animal health issues. For that purpose, a Programme has been established to manage the work required to create an SVS.
The Extension to the Review of Field Delivery of Animal Health Services in Scotland report, conducted by Professor Charles Milne, followed up on the earlier Field Delivery of Animal Health Services in Scotland, and was based on interviews with individual sand organisations involved in animal health services in Scotland and beyond.
The SVS Programme is assessing which functions the SVS should deliver, including border checks. APHA is only responsibility for border checks on live animals, with Scottish Local Authorities responsible for checks on animal products.
Scottish Government Officials liaise regularly with the Animal and Plant health Agency, as well as Defra, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive officials to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place, in due course, to mitigate against any risks to animal health and welfare as a result of different arrangement for the delivery of veterinary controls in Scotland. It is impossible, however, to make effective plans for the delivery of border checks while the UK Government continues to delay the publication of the awaited UK Target Operating Model for Borders.
The Extension to the Review of Field Delivery of Animal Health Services in Scotland report, conducted by Professor Charles Milne, followed up on the earlier Field Delivery of Animal Health Services in Scotland, and was based on interviews with individual sand organisations involved in animal health services in Scotland and beyond.
The SVS Programme is assessing which functions the SVS should deliver, including border checks. APHA is only responsibility for border checks on live animals, with Scottish Local Authorities responsible for checks on animal products.
Scottish Government Officials liaise regularly with the Animal and Plant health Agency, as well as Defra, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive officials to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place, in due course, to mitigate against any risks to animal health and welfare as a result of different arrangement for the delivery of veterinary controls in Scotland. It is impossible, however, to make effective plans for the delivery of border checks while the UK Government continues to delay the publication of the awaited UK Target Operating Model for Borders.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S6W-20081 by reference.