AHVLA announces plans for cost recovery
The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency has announced plans to recover more of its costs, which is likely to have an affect on the costs of British farmers.
DEFRA is carrying out the consultation, which looks at proposed fees for statutory services AHVLA delivers on its behalf, as well as for the Welsh and Scottish Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive.
The consultation document claims: "While Government already charges businesses for some services, the fees have not (in the majority of cases) been revised for some time. This has resulted in a subsidy for users and a financial cost to the general taxpayer.
"Government intervention is necessary to remove the subsidy and relieve the burden on the general taxpayer. The proposal therefore is to revise existing fees to businesses to achieve full cost recovery levels, in line with Government policy.
"The purpose off the consultation is for the AHVLA to recover the full cost of a range of services it provides, many of which are currently subsidised by the taxpayer."
The AHVLA is looking at two ways to recover these costs, either by:
◦ charging farmers full costs by April 2013, or
◦ phasing in the increase in two stages by April 2014.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
