Livestock traceability and health services: equality impact assessment
The Services deliver a range of statutory requirements on behalf of Scottish Ministers. This equality impact assessment (EQIA) considers the users, particularly livestock farmers. The key finding is the importance of appropriately experienced and trained helpline staff, to ensure that the Services are fully accessible to all.
The Scope of the EQIA
Livestock farmers, as the main users of the Livestock Traceability and Health Services, were assessed in terms of protected characteristics. There was good evidence to show that farming has an older age profile than most other occupations, hence the need to assess equality impact in terms of age. There was moderate evidence to suggest that dyslexia may be over represented amongst farmers, hence the need to assess equality impact in terms of disability. All three Public Sector Equality Duties were considered in terms of age and disability, being: Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; Advancing equality of opportunity and Promoting good relations among and between different groups.
Publicly-available sources of quantitative information were used, with the 2024 Agricultural Census being the main source. Qualitative evidence was obtained through discussion with the existing Services provider, policy colleagues working in livestock traceability, researchers in agricultural statistics and Scottish Government field staff working directly with farmers.
Stakeholders have been regularly consulted on the Livestock Traceability and Health Services since 2008, when the first elements were put in place as a research and development project to provide Scottish farmers with an accessible and responsive reporting system for sheep movements.
Contact
Email: animal.health@gov.scot