Western Morning News

On-the-job training quite an education

- ATHWENNA IRONS athwenna.irons@reachplc.com

I AM tired of people talking about things they don’t understand. A few years ago I was on a panel, when a teacher sprang to his feet and said: “There is no difference between education and training.” I asked him if he had any children. He replied: “Yes, a 16-year-old daughter.” I asked him if he objected to her receiving sex education. He replied: “Of course not.” I then asked if he would agree to her receiving ‘sex training’. He sat down without replying.

M Bennett Barnstaple, Devon

CAMPAIGNER­S working to ensure the survival of small abattoirs have welcomed the establishm­ent of a new group designed to raise the importance of local food systems across Government­s.

The Abattoir Sector Group has been formed following the recommenda­tion by the All-Party Parliament­ary Group for Animal Welfare’s (APGAW) report into ‘The Future for Small Abattoirs in the UK’.

The mission of the ASG is to support and develop a thriving network of local abattoirs across the UK, which is essential to maintain high animal welfare standards, support sustainabl­e farming and meet the rising demand for local meat.

The group intends to do this by raising the importance of small abattoirs across Government­s, ensuring they are included in all relevant policy formation, seeking access to funding and sharing best practice to help small abattoirs play a vital role in local food production.

They will work with the Department for Environmen­t, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and any other relevant regulatory body to consider what tools can be used to support small abattoirs.

The ASG steering group includes members from across the UK including the Sustainabl­e Food Trust, Fir Farm, Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), Prince’s Countrysid­e Fund (PCF), National Craft Butchers, Animal Health & Welfare Board England and small abattoir operators based in England, Scotland and Wales.

Dr Simon Docherty, a past president of the British Veterinary Associatio­n (BVA) and senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, is the chair, with small abattoir owner John

Mettrick as vice chair.

Dr Doherty explains: “Our aim is to ensure policy makers consider the vital role these smaller scale abattoirs play in local food production and within wider commitment­s to lift welfare standards, increase sustainabi­lity and reduce the environmen­tal impact of agricultur­e.

“We are excited about ongoing work with the FSA, Defra and other governing bodies to ensure that local abattoirs are seen as one of the key elements if we are to meet Government­s’ aims such as reducing live transport of animals and keeping our rural economies thriving, whilst transformi­ng how we produce food in a more sustainabl­e way.

“ASG will be working to ensure smaller abattoirs are part of the infrastruc­ture to support local food systems and rural economies, will be promoting the reduction of bureaucrac­y and simplifica­tion of paperwork and will work to improve coordinati­on across government department­s.”

Mr Mettrick, of National Craft Butchers, said a network of small abattoirs “supports livestock farming and the developmen­t of small businots

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