Importantly, the merger will increase the resilience of the combined agency’s operations in a difficult financial climate. Joining the two organisations creates new and wider opportunities to identify more cost effective, flexible and robust ways of working. AHVLA will work across Great Britain on behalf of Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Scottish Government. It will also have some UK functions and many international roles ‐ for example as the international reference laboratory for important farm animal diseases such as avian influenza, bovine tuberculosis, classical swine fever and TSEs.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla/files/110331-AHVLA-News-Release-Issue-Version.pdf