Press Release - Identifying and Tracking Livestock in
England
12 November 2003
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair's systems
for identifying and tracking the 25 million cattle, sheep and
pigs in England have achieved their initial objectives, according
to the National Audit Office. More could be done, however, to
realise other potential benefits from the systems and reduce costs.
Defra's plans for updating its identification and tracking systems
are ambitious, but steps are being taken to manage the risks; and,
if successful, updating the systems offers valuable benefits.
Identifying and tracking livestock help to safeguard human and
animal health, assist control of farming subsidies and improve the
farming industry's commercial performance. The Department's Cattle
Tracing System, which tracks the movements of individual cattle
throughout Great Britain, has helped to protect the public from
BSE, for example, by helping to check the age of animals
slaughtered for human consumption. The Animal Movements Licensing
System, introduced following the 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth
Disease, has not been tested by a serious disease outbreak, but the
industry considers it robust and to have improved the tracking of
sheep and pigs.
According to today's report to Parliament, there are a number of
obstacles to obtaining greater benefits, as follows.
- There are inaccuracies in the information reported: for
example, a quarter of postal applications for cattle passports
include an error and movement records are incomplete for one in
eight animals, with the result that the current location of two per
cent of cattle is uncertain.
- Movement information is not fully up to date, because the
deadlines for reporting are not always respected and because most
are still reported by post. For example, a fifth of cattle
movements are notified after the 3 day deadline and around five per
cent are reported over five weeks late.
- There are increased costs to the government of at least £15
million a year as a result of the inaccuracy of information
reported and keepers' continued reliance on postal or e-mail
notification.
Defra is responding to these concerns and is encouraging keepers
to make greater use of electronic methods of notification,
especially the internet service CTS Online, which can
check information before it is allowed on the Cattle Tracing
System.
The Department is modernising the Cattle Tracing System because
new and better systems are needed to achieve planned economies in
subsidy administration, to improve reliability and access to
livestock information, and to support other key initiatives.
Further investment in the Animal Movements Licensing System may be
needed as a result of a draft Regulation published in December 2002
by the European Commission to require recording of the movements of
individual sheep.
Defra plans to manage change to its systems in a
£136 million 'Livestock Identification and Tracing Programme',
culminating in the bringing together into a single Livestock
Register of information currently held in separate livestock
tracking, veterinary and subsidy computer systems. It would also
provide scope for the introduction of electronic methods of
identifying animals. The successful implementation of the programme
presents significant challenges but the Department has strengthened
the governance of the programme to manage the key risks-
principally by establishing a high-level design authority to
coordinate strategic decisions. Uncertainties include whether there
will be sufficient take-up of e-services by farmers; and technical
challenges, such as developing robust electronic identification
systems for working farms and markets. In addition, both the
Department and many in farming do not see the European Commission's
December 2002 proposals as practicable.
The NAO's recommendations include providing and promoting easy
to use electronic methods of reporting; setting targets for
cleaning up data; and working with the industry to reduce errors in
the information sent in by farmers. In developing and implementing
the Livestock Identification and Tracing Programme, action should
include distinguishing in the business case between minimum
requirements and additional facilities; continuing to involve
industry stakeholders in the design and governance arrangements;
and reviewing local authorities' responsibility for enforcing
movement and animal health regulations.
Commenting on the report, head of the National Audit
Office Sir John Bourn said today:
"Information on the movement of animals around the
country is of vital importance in the fight to prevent the spread
of animal disease, all the more so when there is a serious
outbreak. It is also vital to consumers confidence in the food that
they eat. The animal identification and tracking systems in place
at present have helped to protect public health but both systems
are in need of improvement.
"For both of its current systems and in the
implementation of its new Livestock Identification and Tracing
Programme, Defra should work with the livestock industry to improve
levels of data accuracy and encourage the use of online methods of
communicating information."
Notes for Editors
- Identifying the 25 million cattle, sheep and pigs in England
and tracking their movements costs taxpayers and farming around £55
million a year equivalent to just over £2 an animal. There are two
main systems:
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website at http://www.nao.org.uk/ Hard copies can
be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He
and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 68/03
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