Catalogue description Records of Meat and Livestock

Livestock and Meat Divisions: Structure

A Livestock Branch was established by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries within its Land Division in 1913 to administer various grants made under the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act 1909 for the improvement of livestock. Between the wars the multiplying functions of the Ministry in this field were performed by a separate Livestock Division (known from 1934 as the Livestock and Labour Division and from 1939-1940 as the Livestock and Publications Division). During the major part of the Second World War, livestock and feeding stuffs work were the responsibility of the newly created Supplies Division I, but by 1948 this had been dissolved and a new Livestock, Dairying and Hill Farming Division created, renamed in 1955 the Livestock and Dairying Division.

After the dissolution of the Ministry of Food and the subsequent reorganisation of the new Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Ministry of Food's Meat Division, Bacon and Ham Division and Fatstock Marketing Division continued unchanged (though Meat Division absorbed responsibility for pig products in 1957). The Ministry of Food's responsibility for meat hygiene and inspection was absorbed into a new Livestock Improvement, Hill Farming and Slaughterhouse Policy Division, including parts of the former Livestock and Dairying Division which was now split. Responsibility for meat hygiene passed on to a Food Standards, Hygiene and Slaughterhouse Policy Division in 1958, leaving behind a Livestock Improvement and Hill Farming Division.

The Fatstock Marketing Division was split in two parts in 1965, the Fatstock Guarantees Division dealing with the administration of various livestock support payments, and the Fatstock Policy Division. These divisions were reunited in 1969 to form a single Fatstock Division, which continued until 1973 when there was a general reorganisation of the meat divisions within the Ministry following the United Kingdom's accession to the European Economic Community (though planning for fatstock matters was separated out to form a joint Meat and Fatstock Planning Division in 1971).

The Livestock and Hill Farming Division was created in 1958 when slaughterhouse policy matters were removed to another division, and in 1959 responsibility for small farm-holder policy was added with the creation of the Livestock Improvement, Hill Farming and Small Farming Division. In 1960 this became the Meat and Livestock Division, but these two aspects of the division's work were separated in 1965 when a Meat Division and a unified Advisory Service, Labour and Livestock Improvement Division were created. They were reunited again in 1970 to form the Meat and Livestock Improvement Division, and then separated again in the run up to the United Kingdom's accession to the European Economic Community (EEC) into a second Meat Division (1971-1973), a Meat and Fatstock Planning Division and Livestock Improvement, Forestry and Labour Division.

Following accession to the EEC, the divisions dealing with meat matters were reorganised along product lines, rather than the earlier 'subjects'. From 1973 there was a Pigs and Bacon Division, a Beef Division and a Sheep and Livestock Subsidies Division replacing the Fatstock, Meat and Meat and Fatstock Planning Divisions. The Livestock Improvement, Forestry and Labour Division was dissolved in 1974 and its functions absorbed into the other existing divisions (those for livestock improvement passing to Animal Health Division III). The Pigs and Bacon Division became the Pig and Poultry Products Division (1974-1984) and then Pigs, Eggs and Poultry Division (1984-). In 1994 a Fatstock Inspectorate was added to the Sheep and Livestock Subsidies Division to monitor the various subsidies applying to fatstock. Of the post-1973 divisions, Beef Division has been responsible for all matters relating to beef and cattle (except milk) and general issues of meat supply. The Sheep and Livestock Subsidies Division has been responsible for United Kingdom policy on sheep, goats and wool, the application of support schemes, especially for hill farmers, and livestock extensification. The various pig and poultry products divisions have also had responsibility for farmed deer, small farmed livestock (rabbits, chinchilla etc) and for the Meat and Livestock Commission.

Livestock and Meat Divisions: Functions

The duties of the divisions responsible for livestock have covered the licensing of bulls and stallions; provision of an artificial insemination service; oversight of the import and export of livestock to ensure the maintenance and improvement of the UK's breeding stock; administration of the subsidies for hill cattle and sheep and for the rearing of calves for beef; planning of livestock supplies; and all general questions relating to livestock improvement.

The Ministry's various livestock divisions were also responsible for the National Milk Testing Service, set up after the Second World War, and later transferred to the Milk and Milk Products Division. In addition they are responsible for the National Stud acquired by the Board in 1916. The responsibilities of the meat divisions were in relation to policy matters affecting meat and bacon supplies, other than those covered by the fatstock guarantee scheme, which were the responsibility of the various fatstock divisions.

The National Stud, 1916-

In 1916 Lord Wavertree gave to the nation his stud of thoroughbred horses at Tully in Co Kildare, the premises being purchased by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. This was established as the National Stud and became the responsibility of the Ministry in 1919. In 1943 the stud was transferred to Gillingham in Dorset and a number of subsidiary sites elsewhere in England.

Following the Betting Levy Act 1961 it was decided that the Horserace Betting Levy Board would be a suitable alternative trustee of the National Stud, and in April 1963 the Stud was transferred to the Board by ministerial order, after which time the operations of the stud were subject to the general supervision and approval of the Home Secretary.

The function of the stud is to maintain and develop high standards of bloodstock, both by its own breeding and by keeping stallions at stud. The stud's own horses are leased for racing to HM The Queen.