Memorandum submitted by P N Baker (Vet
21)
I am primarily employed in the racing industry.
I attended a full meeting of United Kingdom Horses Shoers Union
on 18 September 2007, when our formal response to the Royal College
Veterinary Surgeons Bill was debated and agreed; I fully accord
with the submission.
I am elected to serve on FRC by my craft, one
of 16, four of whom are elected farrier members. Having expressed
a desire to be heard, I was prevented from representation on the
tripartite committee to consider the RCVS suggestion that farriery
registration should be included with Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary
Nurses within a new bill, (Veterinary Services Act).
Neither my craft or the Farriers Registration
Council as groups have been allowed or invited to debate the matter
of farriery registration's integration into this bill. UKHSU the
only truly independent working craft organisation open to ALL
farriers, were excluded from the debate after a preliminary meeting,
in all probability due to the doubts UKHSU raised. As a consequence
of which UKHSU by letter consulted every farrier in the UK, I
included a brief resume in my role as their elected member on
the Registration Council and as a consequence I was placed on
a disciplinary charge by FRC for doing so.
The views of rank and file working craftsmen
has not been sought in formulation of the NAFBAE, WCF, FRC tripartite
committees response to you. In fact even as a member of the Farriers
Registration Council, I can only suppose such documented views
exist, as to date a submitted document has never even been viewed.
September 2007
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