Written Statement: Consultation on Reform to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 - January 28

Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Dame Angela Eagle): My Honourable Friend, the Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, has made the following Written Statement

We are a country that cares deeply for animals, whether they are our pets and companions, our farmed animals, or our wildlife. Veterinary professionals play a vital role in safeguarding our high animal health and welfare standards, supporting animal disease control and maintaining food security and public health, as well as supporting trade agreements.

Today, we are launching a consultation which proposes reforms to modernise the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA). In the intervening 60 years since the VSA was implemented, the profession and wider views around animals and their welfare has changed beyond recognition. It is imperative that legislation is transformed to continue to maintain high standards of animal health and welfare, protect the public and consumers and uphold public trust in the veterinary professions.

Throughout the years, the VSA has been adapted through many Statutory Instruments (SIs) and supported by changes using the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon's (RCVS's) Royal Charter. However, there is a limit to what can be changed through secondary legislation. Wholesale reform of the VSA could ensure the law, and related frameworks, are fit for purpose, flexible and forward-facing, allowing for the continuing changes of modern society and the veterinary profession.

For many years, there have been calls from the RCVS, the profession and the public to reform the VSA. These calls for legislative reform have been echoed by the on-going Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Market Investigation into the provision of veterinary services for household pets.

The key aims of the proposals for VSA reform are:

• Uphold animal health and welfare: Vets are pivotal to safeguarding and ensuring animal welfare and this relies on adequate vet capacity. Currently, only veterinary surgeons are subject to full regulation, with regulation in place for registered veterinary nurses to work under the direction of veterinary surgeons. By allowing vet nurses to work more independently from veterinary surgeons, vets could focus more on tasks that require their specific skills and knowledge. This would improve retention, with the aim to reduce vet shortages. Regulation of veterinary businesses is also required to ensure that standards of animal health and welfare, as well as consumer protections, are upheld across the veterinary sector.

• Break down barriers to opportunity: Currently, there is no legal protection for the titles of veterinary nurses or the allied veterinary professionals; the consultation proposes reform to introduce this. Proposed reforms would also bring all members of the veterinary team under the same regulatory umbrella. This would support career development alongside animal welfare by ensuring allied veterinary professionals are qualified, further strengthening the profession and providing clarity to the public. The proposed legislative reforms could also remove barriers to the profession that currently exist for disabled people.

• Strengthen the workforce: Proposed reforms to the VSA also aim to address some of the challenges of recruitment and retention, through measures such as providing increased support to new and returning veterinary surgeons and nurses. Additionally, reforms aim to improve the work satisfaction of veterinary nurses by allowing them to work with greater independence.

• Economic growth and consumer protection: Reforming regulation so it more effectively supports consumers and promotes competition would help pet owners make informed choices about the services they choose. Proposed reforms would require vet businesses to be transparent on prices and the range of options available, better meeting consumer needs and allowing them to look around for the best value before seeing a vet. Where competition leads to lower prices, higher quality and better choices for consumers, this helps ensure that animals are better cared for. With vet nurses being able to work more independently and adding regulation of Allied Veterinary Professionals, owners will more easily be able to find qualified people to treat their pet, giving more options for treatment at different price points.

• Food security and enhancing biosecurity: The manifesto states that “food security is national security”. Veterinary professionals are crucial to ensure food security and high standards of public and animal health are maintained. Equally, vets play a crucial role in biosecurity by providing official controls in the agri-food chain, particularly within abattoirs and for trade purposes. Proposed reforms to the legislation could further safeguard these important areas.

This consultation seeks views on the following aspects of veterinary regulation that would contribute to achieving the aims of reform set out above:

• a licence to practise model, including the wider veterinary team
• ensuring professionals are fit to practise
• regulation of veterinary and animal healthcare businesses, and
• the governance of the veterinary regulator

The proposed UK wide changes laid out in the consultation are crucial in ensuring the regulation of the veterinary team, and the wider sector in which they operate, is fit for purpose and fit for the future.