The Meat and Livestock Commission has reacted to suggestions that it is a spent force by proposing new bodies to promote the lamb, beef and pig sectors in England while advocating an overarching co-ordinating British role for itself, ensuring against unnecessary duplication by separate national bodies. While the Industry Forum for Red Meat is intended to cover Wales and Scotland as well as England, the MLC is having to adapt to changes in the industry as the Scottish and Welsh develop their own strategies. The working titles of the new organisations it proposes are EBLEX (English Beef and Lamb Executive) and EPEX (English Pig Executive). A new body dubbed "Team England" would be created to service the requirements of English levy payers. It would be run by MLC staff and their main roles would be in marketing and industry communications. MLC director general Gwyn Howells says: "A critical examination of the MLC has been going on for some time and these proposals are in-line with being able to help drive through the recommendations of the Curry Report and the Industry Forum for Red Meat. "Many of the changes proposed are the logical consequence of devolution and the commission feels they provide a positive way forward and an opportunity to deliver a more focused response to our levy payers' needs, both nationally and regionally." Consultation on the proposals closed on June 10 and the MLC hopes to unveil the new organisation by the end of July and for it to be fully operational by October. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}

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