Volume 16: Reference Material
7. The organisation of MAFF and DH, 1986-96
The demerger of the Animal Health and Veterinary Group (AHVG)
November 1994 to March 1996

7.20 In March 1993 the Minister commissioned a Management Review of the merged AHVG. The review report noted that:

The integrated structure has undoubted merits, notably in enabling the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) to take overall command of operations in the event of a disease emergency. But it has led, unavoidably in our view, to a lack of transparency in relations between its constituent parts and confused accountability in decision making. ¹

It acknowledged that 'there is no suggestion that senior management have done other than their utmost to make the system work', but noted that 'they have faced an uphill task'. ² The report concluded that:

. . . the Group would operate more efficiently and more effectively divided into its component parts than if it remained integrated. ³

This recommendation was accepted and the results are shown in Charts C1-C4. Separate Animal Health Policy and CVO's Groups were established in 1994, and a year later the Veterinary Investigation Centres were merged with the CVL within a new Veterinary Laboratories Agency. ⁴ However:

. . . two unified divisions were retained, the Zoonoses Division, reporting to Mr Haddon [the administrative Grade 3], and the International Trade Division, reporting to myself [the CVO] because of the high level of veterinary and international content of its work. ⁵

November 1994 to March 1996

7.21 The following charts illustrate the structure of MAFF during this period:

1. Chart C1: the overall structure of MAFF.
2. Chart C2: the Animal Health Group following the Lebrecht Review. ⁶
3. Chart C3: the Meat Hygiene Division (from 1989 to 1996).
4. Chart C4: the State Veterinary Service, following the Lebrecht Review.

Chart C1: MAFF, November 1994 to March 1996

Chart C2: Animal Health Group, November 1994 to March 1996

Chart C3: Meat Hygiene Division, November 1989 to March 1996

Chart C4: State Veterinary Service, November 1994 to March 1996