Summary of Council meeting on 23 February 2006

Introduction
Discussion
Chairman's report
Next meeting
Further information

Introduction

This is the summary report of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) plenary meeting on 23 February 2006, chaired by Professor Christopher Wathes. The Council meets three times a year. Working groups that convene more frequently undertake much of the preparatory work.

New Members Huw Davies, Professor Sandra Edwards, Dr David Main and Meryl Ward were welcomed to the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

Discussion

Discussion centred around:

Updates from the Animal Health and Welfare Implementation Groups/Steering Committees for England, Scotland and Wales, and Defra’s Animal Welfare Division;

• Early proposals to reform a European Forum of Farm Animal Welfare Councils;
• Development of FAWC’s Strategic Business Plan 2006-2010. This would set out how Council will go about its business and would include decisions on the next priority topics for major studies and shorter opinions from the Standing Committees. There had been a wide-ranging consultation with stakeholders via an Internet based questionnaire and a draft would now be circulated to Ministers, CVOs and the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy Implementation/Steering Groups for their comments on priorities;
• A draft report on welfare labelling;
• A draft report on lamb castration and tail docking; and
• A request to members to provide reports of events they attended on behalf of FAWC.

Chairman's report

The Chairman reported on meetings aimed at building relationships with FAWC’s stakeholders in GB and Europe, through meetings with Ministers, CVOs, officials, the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy implementation and steering bodies, the EU Welfare Quality conference and with key stakeholders (e.g. RCVS).

Next meeting

1 June 2006.

Further information

Contact:

Richard Aram
Assistant Secretary FAWC
Area 511, 1A Page Street
LONDON, SW1P 4PQ

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7904 6532
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7904 6993
E-mail: richard.n.aram@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.fawc.org.uk