Plans for a £4.2 million state-of-the-art veterinary hub to drive forward research to protect both animal and human health have been announced by the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths.
Responding to the announcement, British Veterinary Association (BVA) Welsh Branch President Sarah Carr said: “We are delighted that substantial funding has been secured for laboratory facilities, which will be a serious value-add to the Aberystwyth/Royal Veterinary College training hub proposals.
“The focus of the £4.2 million initiative on improving animal health, disease surveillance and eradication, food security and veterinary science is most welcome. We look forward to hearing more detailed plans of how the hub will deliver a range of cutting-edge training opportunities for Wales’ vets of tomorrow, benefitting the profession and the farming industry in Wales and beyond.
“The Vet Hub 1 project will be backed with £3 million from the European Regional Development Fund, through the Welsh Government, highlighting the importance of EU funding to veterinary research and development in the UK. R&D income for veterinary science to the UK totals £55 million a year.
“In BVA’s Brexit principles we clearly outlined the importance of maintaining the UK’s access to EU partnership R&D, or similar pan European funding – and initiatives like this prove exactly why, offering innumerable benefits to Wales, the UK and wider world.”