Animal Health
Encyclopedia
Executive agency
An executive agency, also known as a next-step agency, is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate in order to carry out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland...
primarily responsible for ensuring that farmed animals in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
are healthy, disease-free and well looked after.
One of its key roles is to implement government policies aimed at preventing - or managing - outbreaks of serious animal diseases, and in doing so support the farming industry, protect the welfare of farmed animals and safeguard public health from animal borne disease.
In England and Wales it also works to protect public health by ensuring that dairy hygiene and egg production standards are met.
It also regulates the trade in endangered species through CITES.
Previously Animal Health was known as State Veterinary Service
State Veterinary Service
The State Veterinary Service was an executive agency of the UK government department the . It was the government's delivery agent responsible for animal health and welfare in England, Scotland and Wales....
.
The Scottish arm of the organisation is a member of SEARS (Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services).