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Unauthorised horse passport concern
System abuse causes drugs to enter food chain

It has been reported that as many as 7,000 unauthorised horse passports may have been in circulation in the UK since 2008.

Suggestions that the Spotted Horse and Pony Society continued to issue horse passports after it lost its right to authorise such documents, has highlighted abuse to the system.

The passport system was introduced in 2005 to ensure those horses likely to enter the food chain would remain drug-free, however in light of the information, abattoirs may have been misinformed.

Campaigners are calling for the system to be reviewed, with experts claiming that the quality of the documents varies considerably across more than 70 equine organisations that are able to issue them.

A Defra spokesperson said: "The Spotted Horse and Pony Society had their approval to issue passports withdrawn by Defra in 2008. After checks were carried out, the society was found not to be meeting the minimum standards required for operational efficiency."

The society is no longer running, however campaigners believe the problem lies with a "bonkers" system.

"We do know there is widespread abuse of the passport system," said Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare. "It needs changing, it needs vast improvement."

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FIVP announces third series of Practice Matters

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary practices (FIVP) has announced a third season of its podcast, Practice Matters.

Hosted by Ian Wolstenholme, series three will focus on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation, including a discussion about some of the expected impacts on independent veterinary colleagues.

Episode one launches on 13th January with guests Drs David Reader and Scott Summers, who will draw on their research into the CMA investigation and provide insights into themes such as transparency, pricing and consumer trust.

Ian Wolstenholme said: "In its third series, we will try and hone in on what the changes will mean in reality for independent practices with advice and guidance on implementation and delivery, drawing on the experience of our own team and other experts in the profession. Hope you can join us soon!" 

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News Shorts
Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk