Tuberculosis (Scotland) Amendment Order 2022: business and regulatory impact assessment

Implementation and delivery plan

Implementation

The making date for this legislation will be the 10^th November 2022, with the laying date as 14^th November 2022 and then a subsequent coming into force date on 28^th November 2022.

Delivery Plan

TB controls in Scotland are already well established and delivered by APHA as our operational delivery partners. APHA have carried out the required Request for Policy Driven Change and Response form for this proposed change and which are now in the process of being adopted into "business as usual" by the APHA project delivery team.

For communications, a letter will go out to general stakeholders, and those who responded to the consultation to make them aware of this change and the further upcoming proposed changes in 2023. An SG news release will also be published and this will be promoted on social media. This will summarise the policy, stressing that currently permission is already required to apply a private diagnostic test for TB on a bovine animal, and this policy is being expanded so that going forward permission is also required for taking samples for the purpose of applying a diagnostic test for tuberculosis. An Official Veterinarian (OV) briefing note will also be provided to update on these changes.

As part of the agreed communications plan APHA will write a briefing for Official Veterinarians (OVs), which will also cover communication with labs in Scotland to make them aware of this change. A letter to Scottish Government stakeholders and a Scottish Government news release will also be issued.

Post-implementation review

Disease Control measures for bovine TB are subject to continuous monitoring and review. More changes are planned next year, when further amendments will be made under the Tuberculosis (Scotland) Order 2023, and at this point any legislation which is not considered fit for purpose will be remedied.