BVA Annual Welsh Dinner
BVA President David Catlow's Speech
Wales Millennium Centre, 26 June 2007
Minister, Honoured Guests, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the annual BVA Welsh Dinner. Thank you to Christianne Glossop and her team Alex Perry and Sarah Tully who have been most helpful in making the arrangements. A particular warm welcome to the new Minister, Jane Davidson, thank you for finding time in your busy schedule to join us this evening.
I can’t possibly stand here tonight without commenting on the publication one week ago of the ISG final report on the badger culling trials. Understandably, the initial response from many has been one of disappointment – the report does not offer the quick fix that we had hoped for. The ISG Report does acknowledge that there is upwards of 40% transmission of disease from badgers to cattle in hot spot areas, so it is imperative we find ways of addressing and reducing this area of transmission between badgers and cattle as one part of a whole control strategy. We must learn lessons from the models that have been studied and devise new methods to address this epidemic disease. The costs of bovine TB must not be measured solely in the Treasury accounts; the costs to individual livelihoods and the impact on rural communities are also very real factors to be considered.
The publicity surrounding the bTB case at Skanda Vale has not gone unnoticed around the rest of the UK. We fully appreciate the sensitivities surrounding this case and the particular challenges when animals not kept for commercial purposes are involved; but the complexities of this disease and the associated public health risks makes the responsibilities of our politicians very clear!
Despite the challenges we all face, many good things are happening in the veterinary community and the industries we serve. There is cautious optimism about the future of farming with a recent improvement in commodity prices and a brighter long-term outlook, served by a veterinary industry that is evolving rapidly to the needs of its clients. We are providing top quality services to the companion animal and ever-expanding equestrian world and the future remains bright for those practices willing to embrace the winds of change and the opportunities that present themselves.
In Wales, as in other devolved regions, you are setting good examples and standards for progression of the AH&W Strategy. Vets are actively involved in decision-making and you are identifying real initiatives such as your plan to increase awareness and launch a Hydatid Disease eradication campaign. You have developed a Biosecurity Intensive Treatment Area in South West Wales, involving cattle-keepers, local vets and government, to help identify real examples of biosecurity that will make a difference in preventing the spread of bTB as well as other diseases. These are fine examples of partnership where government is looking to focus and lead on what the industry can ‘do better’, instead of the ‘what can we do cheaper’ mentality that has and is driving so much policy from Westminster.
So much can be achieved when senior policy-makers work with the veterinary profession, as opposed to looking to replace the veterinary profession – such a short term strategy that does nothing to ensure that vets are available for the next disease outbreak and enhance the ongoing contribution that they make to society. Vets working in government, private practice, education and industry are working very well together in stakeholder meetings, but their input will diminish if their contribution is repeatedly ignored.
Grave concerns are now being expressed that there is declining veterinary influence in animal health and welfare policy development in Whitehall. Layers of civil servants and administrators are appearing between Ministers and the veterinary voice; creating policy without the fundamental veterinary knowledge and professional judgement that is required to establish meaningful policy strategy and delivery. Administrative, financial and leadership skills are essential in any animal health team – but fundamental veterinary knowledge must sit up there right at the top. It is a vital element if we wish to maintain a competent and credible influence in Europe; to provide the knowledge transfer from research to industry and be a driver for indispensable research into animal and human health – ‘one medicine’ is increasingly recognised by other nations as one of the many reasons to continually invest in veterinary research.
There are many stunning examples of where human health benefits from animal health research projects. The development of the new cervical cancer vaccine for women that has the potential to save many thousands of lives is just one small example - developed from a research project in bovine papilloma virus.
Ladies & Gentlemen, the pace of change appears to be accelerating. So much has happened in the last 12 months.
This year we have seen the re-branding of the State Veterinary Service – now ‘Animal Health’ – BVA is involved with the development of the Official Veterinarian reform programme and a pilot study looking to modernise contractual relations between private practice and government. It is a painfully slow process, but should result in practices being able to make informed decisions on whether they wish to continue providing those services, and if so, a clear understanding of exactly what is required.
The handling of the recent withdrawal of routine Brucellosis Surveillance testing has done little to cement relations between government and private practice. I will say little more on this subject this evening other than the BVA was not consulted on the introduction of this measure, we were informed of the decision, and assurances that reasonable notice would be given, were not honoured.
I would like to return to the subject of the environment. The recent G8 Summit has placed the issue much higher on the international agenda and we are informed that reducing global greenhouse gas emissions on the world scale are now urgent if we are to avoid further serious climate change. Real reductions are needed in years not decades. The farming industry and the livestock sector in particular have been identified as a significant contributor to those emissions.
I invite the government to engage with the industry to see what reductions can be made as a matter of urgency – it is in the public interest, indeed the world interest to explore these areas. Surely one of the most obvious and achievable ways to make significant reductions is by improving efficiencies in production?
Gaining more from less – one calf per cow per year, or one calf per cow every 18 months? – it strikes me that we have a very obvious working hypothesis to investigate.
Our UK research capability in endemic and exotic livestock disease is first rate and provides a great opportunity to identify the standards of achievable efficiencies in production. Never has it been more ‘in the public interest’ and timely to justify investment in veterinary research and veterinary involvement on farm, than now.
What are the carbon-costs of poor health and inefficiency in livestock production. We know the financial costs of FMD, what carbon-costs to that outbreak? What are the costs to the environment of endemic disease? TB; BVD; abortion in sheep - barren cattle and sheep - all eructation and flatulence.
Climate change does and is impacting on animal health; and we know that animals are having an impact on climate change. We have to reduce that impact. This presents a real opportunity for government to set an example to the industry and the world – not as a cynical way to raise taxes but to show investment and leadership in a core resource industry – food production.
Active engagement of the veterinary profession on farm in Health Planning is one way in which we can address many of the areas of disease risk and contribute to significant improvements in efficiency. But we need to identify targets and incentivise farmers to reach those targets. Establishing land-management contracts and bench-marking for farmers is a first step that has been taken in Scotland; in Wales you are encouraging active Health Planning and England has recently invested £1.6mill in funding for Health Planning – these are a start but are just drops in the ocean if government is really serious about making a difference on climate change in such a short time scale. All who benefit should contribute to the cost of reducing those emissions and that clearly includes the public! It adds a whole new dimension to the issue of cost-sharing and responsibility-sharing, a subject that I know is accelerating up the political agenda, where any premature decisions that are not made in true partnership are very unlikely to be tolerated by the industry.
The politicians must not dare to export our livestock industry in a game of international carbon-trading to other less well developed nations – passing the buck to other nations; that would be an irresponsible move on the world stage when we have such an opportunity and infrastructure to lead the world in innovation and expertise.
In Wales, your engagement with the industry and appreciation of the role of animals in rural communities, as well as wider society is very obvious, and we look forward to working with you at every opportunity.
Minister, thank you once again for finding time to join us this evening, it is very much appreciated. We wish you well in your new role.
Speech by the Minister for Sustainability and Rural Development Jane Davidson AM.
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