Jim Paice sacked -- David Heath appointed in his place

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Ciss

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Yippee Jim Paice -- Farming Minister at DEFRA and the murderer of NED -- has been sacked. He may have been dubbed 'the dairy farmers' friend but he certainly wasn't the British horse industry's friend and hopefully his sacking was at least part due to the fact that he announced the closing on NED on the very day that the AHT published an official report proving that it would be impossible to monitor outbreaks of such diseases as African Horse Sickness without NED. Don't know much about his replacement David Heath but as MP for Somerset and Frome he certainly comes from a very horsey area, so I for one will be resending my letter of protest about the shutting down of NED, this time addressed to David Heath and Owen Patterson (Caroline Spelmann has been sacked too :-)) to make sure they see it and it doesn't get dropped in the bin in the reshuffle.
 
MurphysMinder said:
Owen Paterson is very horsey, pro hunting and his daughter has just been on the under 21 (I think) Eventing team, so hopefully he will take notice.
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Perhaps we should start a "Book", as to whether Paterson tows the party line, and follows instructions, or stands up to be counted. My money's on the fact that he'll want to keep his job!! ;)

Alec. :D
 
This is the e-mail that I sent

Dear David Heath and Owen Paterson

As a member of the DEFRA Equine Experts Group and a winner of the BEF / SEIB Meritoire Award for outstanding service to British breeding who has supported Ned from its very beginning and been involved in many of its developments, I am deeply concerned regarding DEFRA’s decision to cease funding the National Equine Database, which was made very recently by your predecessors – and on the very day that the Animal Health Trust issued a very carefully researched report proving that a central equine database is essential in the tracking and prevention of spread of equine diseases, especially such new exotic ones as African Horse Sickness. What measures will you now put in place as matter of urgency to replace NED, while also bearing in mind that DEFRA has to uphold the EU laws on equi...ne passports, which require that such a central database exists for precisely this reason?

The ill-thought out decision to cease funding this scheme, while hundreds of equines in this country are at their most vulnerable time in decades, will only increase cases of abandonment and neglect.

The horse passport was introduced by the UK government and should therefore by administered by it or by an accredited organisation. Unfortunately Mr Paice, who had very little experience of the horse world, had a doctrine dislike of all equine passport law, believing them – against all evidence provided by all sectors of the horse industry – to be an unnecessary result of the EU Zootechnic regulations -- and the destruction of NED was part of his policy to ensure that horse passport legislation became impossible to enforce

As a concerned citizen of this country, a horse and animal lover, I demand that DEFRA continue funding the National Equine Database and looks to resolving the issue on a long term basis for the good of the UK horse world and its many voting supporters.

Yours sincerely

Celia I Clarke

I'll let you all know if I have any meaningful reply :-).
 
I will have to search into the deep depths of my email box BUT somewhere I have an amazing email from someone at DEFRA stating that African Horse Sickness did not present a risk to the UK equine population.

This was in response to my communication, at the height of 'Franchgate' informing DEFRA that horses imported to France for slaughter, without passports, were being issued with French ONC passports, rescued and shipped to the UK. Most worrying was a regular shipment from Spain.

I had no issue with those who give horses a second chance but the way in which documentation was acquired.
 
Have dealt with David Heath before. Nice chap. Rural focus cus of his patch, works hard. Wouldn't describe as obviously horse-aware though. Not arrogant though, so hopefully open to connecting with new issues. Unlike some!
 
Alec Swan said:
Perhaps we should start a "Book", as to whether Paterson tows the party line, and follows instructions, or stands up to be counted. My money's on the fact that he'll want to keep his job!! ;)

Alec. :D
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I sincerely hope he does listen Alec else the poor man will have a lot of earache from us locals and although we're not in his constituency (he's next door) I know his constituents always felt he was fair and thorough for them. (he bought one of my horses too and hunted it for several seasons!)
 
Maesfen said:
I sincerely hope he does listen Alec else the poor man will have a lot of earache from us locals and although we're not in his constituency (he's next door) I know his constituents always felt he was fair and thorough for them. (he bought one of my horses too and hunted it for several seasons!)
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We will be giving him earache for a start. After DEFRA twice recommended that the Cleveland Bay Horse Society enter into an agreement with IFCE in France for registration of CB foals born in France, new kid on the block in Horse passports has forbidden CBHS to make an agreement. (one week ago)

When my O/H pointed out that agreements with Dales Pony Society and AES are already in place and working well, therefore this would be discriminatory, new kid on the block in Horse Passports said he would stop these agreements too. If it is working well let us just destroy it.

Whilst the number of pure bred CB foals has plummeted from 70 pa to this year 13 (and that includes USA). The only breeders of pure bred CB's in the whole of mainland Europe, ourselves, will have to find another stud book for our foals.

Well and truly shafted by CBHS and DEFRA!! Cheers guys.
 
Alec Swan said:
Perhaps we should start a "Book", as to whether Paterson tows the party line, and follows instructions, or stands up to be counted. My money's on the fact that he'll want to keep his job!! ;)

Alec. :D
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Yes good post , I'm not sure how he will get on, he is far to sensible
to be a cameron condem lacky IE not keen on windmills or the other madcap green crap the rest of them are filling their boots/lining each others pockets with .
 
perfect11s said:
Yes good post , I'm not sure how he will get on, he is far to sensible
to be a cameron condem lacky IE not keen on windmills or the other madcap green crap the rest of them are filling their boots/lining each others pockets with .
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He was on Farming Today (Radio four) this morning. Wants to enable people in rural communities to run their businesses with minimal interference from DEFRA (that must exclude Brits living in the EU).

Wants do see deregulation and came across as anti-EU. Does this mean he does not want to campaign for better welfare standards for chickens, pigs, veal calves and horses in transit within the EU, I wonder?

Very interested in badger conservation.
 
Rollin said:
He was on Farming Today (Radio four) this morning. Wants to enable people in rural communities to run their businesses with minimal interference from DEFRA (that must exclude Brits living in the EU).

Wants do see deregulation and came across as anti-EU. Does this mean he does not want to campaign for better welfare standards for chickens, pigs, veal calves and horses in transit within the EU, I wonder?

Very interested in badger conservation.
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There is a world outside the EU!!!! on Paterson we will see... lets hope there is some sense and DEFRA is realined to fully represent the interests of farming , rural life and animal welfare...
 
perfect11s said:
There is a world outside the EU!!!! on Paterson we will see... lets hope there is some sense and DEFRA is realined to fully represent the interests of farming , rural life and animal welfare...
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This is true there is a world outside the EU. We cannot influence their legislation, however. I am pleased that the veal sold by my French butcher has not been crate reared but stabled with light on straw, thanks to EU legislation; also that member states will be obliged to end battery eggs.

I am however sad that we court China as a growing market for British pigs, when their recored of animal cruelty leaves me speechless. Also pretty sad that most British suppliers of horse rugs have them made in China.

Delighted that thanks to an EU which permits free movement of goods and trade I can buy D&H horse feed and English leather tack for my horses.

Fairly hacked off, that while British supermarkets groan under the weight of imported agricultural produce, only one British cheese appears in a French supermarket.

Here we come full circle. Threads on this forum indicate that many riders are riding imported EU warmbloods, these breeds would not exist without the influence of the TB and Cleveland Bay. When I moved to France in 2005, the CB along with many other British natives was not recorgnised as a pedigree horse and therefore excluded from competition.

DEFRA did nothing. The CB pedigree recognition finally occured in 2009 - thanks to my campaigning in France.

I hope the new minister will focus on the positive and not enter into more EU bashing which will serve to close more doors than it opens.
 
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