4 Conclusion
85. Defra's
decision to walk away from work on a White Paper has left the
revision of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 in a mess. Whilst
Defra's budgetary pressures may not enable it to complete all
the functions that would currently be required to introducing
a new Veterinary Surgeons Act, its decision to halt work completely
on new legislation is untenable. However, the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons has not done enough itself to provide a clear
picture of its proposals for a new statutory framework for the
regulation of the profession. The Royal College must provide greater
detail to the profession, and other interested parties, about
its proposals for a new Council and disciplinary structure. In
order to take its proposals further, the
Royal College must also analyse the cost of its proposals to the
profession and to the consumer. The main purpose of any new legislation
must be to protect the consumer, but the veterinary profession
must not be overloaded with unnecessary regulation.
86. It is unlikely
that a complete overhaul of the regulatory structure will occur
before 2011 unless the veterinary profession irons out its differences
and decides what it wants. We believe that a working party comprising
Defra, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British
Veterinary Association should share the costs of developing a
new Bill by the end of 2008 with a view to its being introduced
to the House in mid 2009. The profession must take the matter
into its own hands and as a priority coalesce round some specific
proposals to amend the disciplinary process for veterinary surgeons.
This is generally agreed to be the area of the existing legislation
most in need of updating.
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