THE BENEFITS OF A UK APPROACH TO ANIMAL HEALTH, WELFARE AND FARMING

Animal health and welfare policy is devolved to each of the four nations but there are areas where there is an over-arching UK framework at work, for instance in the response to major outbreaks such as Foot and Mouth Disease. Individual nations have control over some areas of animal disease prevention and control, which is as it should be: targeted measures appropriate to the local environment are the best solutions. Further to this, the animal health budgets were devolved from the UK Government to the Scottish and Welsh administrations in 2011^{1Animal health budget devolved, Scottish Government Press Release, 14th March 2011} bringing this into line with Northern Ireland which already holds this responsibility. Northern Ireland also works closely with the Republic of Ireland in this area with an ‘All-Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy’. This makes good sense geographically, politically and perhaps most importantly biologically. Devolution has worked well and there are areas of agricultural and animal-related policy that are served effectively by different administrations. But, animal health and disease control are areas where there has to be joined-up thinking and dialogue between administrations. Just because a sheep trots across the border from Cumbria into Scotland, or from Ireland into Northern Ireland, it does not make it a different animal bitten by a different insect or affected by a different virus.

It is important that the respective administrations should work together to promote animal health. There are some issues where party politics should be put to one side and animal health is one such area. The UK has a Chief Veterinary Officer who acts for the whole of the UK, whilst also representing England. Similarly, each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has their own Chief Veterinary Officer; the four officers and their teams work closely together to share intelligence, best practice and protocols. It is important to note that the UK also works closely with international institutions such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE, Office International des Epizooties); disease knows no boundaries.

Another example of UK-wide bodies in this sector is the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the governing body for the veterinary profession across the whole of the UK. In addition, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) represents veterinary surgeons across the whole of the UK.

Cross-border co-ordination is absolutely essential when there is an outbreak of an infectious disease in animals. A prime example is Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). FMD is a highly contagious and infectious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals (such as pigs, cattle and sheep) that had devastating consequences when it entered the UK in 2001. The 2001 FMD outbreak is estimated to have cost over £8 billion.^{2The 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, The Committee of Public Accounts, Fifth Report} The different areas of the UK affected, such as Cumbria and Devon in England, and Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland managed the situations from a devolved perspective but there was over-arching strategy (such as culling and reporting) led by the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in London. The UK Government also deployed the British Army (from local regiments) to help the veterinary and animal health officers institute control and culling measures. This is obviously an example illustrating the benefits of being part of a United Kingdom with shared defence resources being ready and able to assist across the country in times of emergency.

To draw on the Foot and Mouth Disease example further, the benefits of UK-wide research and development are coming to fruition with the recent developments in the search for a suitable vaccine against this disease.^{3Pirbright grants licence for new foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, Press Release, 2nd September 2019} This research has been led by the Pirbright Institute in England, which receives strategic UK funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC UKRI). Vaccination was not an appropriate response in 2001 partly due to the difficulties in differentiating between vaccinated animals and animals that have actually been exposed to the disease. This has significant ramifications for the FMD status of a country from an international trade perspective if trading partners cannot be confident that animals have not been exposed to FMD. Fortunately, things have moved forward in recent years in the development of a suitable and effective vaccine and now it is possible to tell more reliably the difference between vaccinated animals and infected animals. So, thanks to wider UK and international developments, vaccination may now be considered a possible future part of the control measures in the face of an outbreak in the UK.

The elephant in the room (or perhaps more pertinently the cow, sheep or horse) at present is Brexit. This will no doubt present challenges but also opportunities. There has been much debate as to what this means for farming and animal welfare moving forward, either with or without a withdrawal agreement. The UK Government has been clear that animal welfare and farming standards will not be watered down as part of any trade negotiations. It is estimated that there is a shortfall in current UK vet numbers. This shortage could potentially be exacerbated once the UK leaves the EU due to our current dependence on EU vets in some sectors, along with a likely increase in the need for vets capable of facilitating the certification process, for instance with animal export health certificates. The increased demand for certification will be ameliorated to a degree by the recent DEFRA proposals for the new role for non-veterinarian Certification Support Officers (CSOs) in the certification of products of animal origin, but there will still be a need for veterinary oversight.

The UK Veterinary Schools have the potential to increase the number of vets they produce. There are currently 8 UK Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)-accredited Vet Schools (Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham, Royal Veterinary College and Surrey). Surrey graduated its first cohort in 2019 and has just received its RCVS accreditation. A new Vet School (Keele-Harper Adams) will be taking in its first veterinary intake in 2020 and Nottingham are doubling their intake in 2019/20. Currently, approximately half of the new registrants to the RCVS each year come from non-UK EU Vet Schools and over 90% of vets in the meat hygiene sector in the UK are from other EU countries, in particular Spain. Steps are being taken to address the issue of veterinary workforce shortages (pre- and post- Brexit), both in the short and long term. In summer 2019, the UK Government approved the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that vets be restored to the Shortage Occupation List.^{4Statement from RCVS President on the Home Office accepting the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations, 25th July 2019} In addition, the UK Government has recently announced that international students will be able to stay and work in the UK for 2 years post-graduation. This means it will be easier to address recruitment needs, including in the veterinary and rural sectors. Furthermore in recent weeks, the RCVS and Veterinary Council of Ireland have approved a Mutual Recognition Agreement, whereby whatever happens with Brexit, the RCVS would recognise the veterinary degree from Ireland’s Vet School (University College Dublin) and Ireland would recognise the veterinary degrees from the UK.

It is important also to acknowledge the important benefits that the individual nations enjoy as being part of the UK. In the September 2019 Spending Review, the UK Government allocated £160 million to Scottish farmers in convergence funds. In addition, there was £51.4 million awarded to Scottish farmers over the next 2 years, meaning a total £211.4 million funding package to Scottish farmers.^{5Multi-million pound boost for Scottish farmers, UK Government Press Release, 6th September 2019} As described elsewhere on this site, the UK single market is incredibly important to Scotland, even more so than the EU and non-EU markets.^{6What Is The UK Single Market? These Islands Briefing} Total Scottish exports to the UK in 2017 were £48.9 billion, to the EU £14.9 billion and non-EU countries £17.6 billion. Within the agricultural, forestry and fishing sectors the figures were £835 million in exports to the UK, £270 million to the EU and £225 million to non-EU countries.^{7Export Statistics Scotland 2017, 30th January 2019} So, whatever the Brexit outcome, the UK is likely to remain Scotland's most important market for the foreseeable future.

A further important consideration in all this is the importance of disease surveillance. This is absolutely crucial in the farming sector but also in the areas of companion and athletic animals such as horses and also small animal pets. Indeed this is also vital for human health as veterinarians are at the interface of diseases that can cross from animals to people (zoonoses). It is vital that as the UK leaves the EU we remember that we are not leaving the geographic area and there is a real need for joined-up thinking and funding when it comes to disease surveillance and control. We should work closely with our European colleagues on this both in terms of funding and workforce.

The benefits of the four nations being part of a United Kingdom mean that our gold standard animal health and welfare can and will continue. Indeed, if the agenda is grasped, it can be a real opportunity for us to help drive up these important standards across the world and set an example for others to follow.

Dr Neil Hudson is a Veterinary Surgeon and Senior Veterinary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. Neil is on Twitter @DrNeilHudson