Should vets be included in the animal health cost sharing debate?

THE DECISION to omit veterinary representatives from the working group on animal health and welfare cost sharing is either an oversight by cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead, or a calculated risk that the debate is best moved forwards without vet involvement.
If it had been an oversight, then it would be safe to assume that the position would have been rectified almost immediately. It is, therefore, somewhat perplexing that veterinary input is not seen as crucial by the Scottish Government.
The implementation of any agreed scheme will involve time, effort and, most importantly, have financial consequences for both farmers and veterinarians.
It is surely inconceivable that finance, in any of its many forms, could have had anything to do with the decision!