Committee publication · Correspondence · 6 May 2025
Correspondence from the Chief Veterinary Officer and Interim Chief Executive of the APHA regarding oral evidence on 4 March, dated 2 May 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Animal and plant health
Summary
The Chief Veterinary Officer and APHA Chief Executive respond to follow-up questions from the EFRA Committee's 4 March 2025 evidence session on animal and plant health. They provide detailed information on the FMD response in Germany, veterinary workforce shortages, and avian influenza data, including three consignments that auto-cleared at borders contrary to protocol and compensation figures for culled birds.
Key findings
- IPAFFS system updated 16 January 2025 for German FMD controls; manual holds imposed 10 January before system update
- Three consignments from Germany auto-cleared borders inappropriately and were referred to inland Local Authorities for further action
- Veterinary workforce: 11% shortage overall as of 2024, but RCVS modelling projects supply will reach 99% of demand by 2035; government veterinary roles face persistent shortages
- APHA culled 28 infected premises between October 2024–February 2025; compensation of £11,456,056.06 paid to 27 eligible premises covering 2,059,379 birds
- Avian influenza culling data not routinely published; APHA commits to future publication of bird death/cull numbers on affected farms
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Alistair Carmichael MP, Prof Christine Middlemiss CB, Dr Jenny Stewart, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), Defra
Notable line
“These consignments were referred by PHAs to inland Local Authorities for further action to prevent them entering wider circulation.”
Key Quotes
“We can now confirm that took place on 16 January 2025. Although, as the UK CVO stated in the inquiry, she asked Border Control Posts (BCPs) on 10 January 2025 to hold goods from Germany pending compliance checks.”
“Based on this data we have been able to identify three consignments that did auto clear that should have been detained at the border. These consignments were referred by PHAs to inland Local Authorities for further action to prevent them entering wider circulation.”
“However, this report also highlights that government veterinary roles, particularly those in public health and regulatory positions, are facing more significant and persistent shortages.”
“The total number of birds eligible for compensation from the 27 IPs is 2,059,379.”
“We can confirm that these data are not routinely published.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗