§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw)Later today, the Chief Veterinary Officer will launch the UK's veterinary surveillance strategy (VSS).
This strategy will form an integral part of the developing animal health and welfare strategy for Great Britain which aims to improve the health and welfare of animals kept by man and to protect public health from animal disease. The veterinary surveillance strategy launched today seeks to enhance veterinary surveillance to enable faster, better targeted disease prevention and control measures.
The core objectives of the ten year strategy will be to deliver earlier warning and more rapid detection and analysis of disease threats, provide open and transparent prioritisation of surveillance activities, to give a clear, well defined evidence base for all animal health and welfare related policies, and to make better use of the data collected.
The launch follows extensive consultation across Government and with the veterinary, farming and wildlife sectors.
Copies of the strategy document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.