HC Deb 28 February 1949 vol 462 cc29-30
54. Mr. F. Maclean

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will define the functions of a county pest officer, a fox control officer, an assistant fox control officer and a rodent operative; and whether he will also give the number of such officials employed by his Department throughout the country and the salaries paid to them.

Mr. T. Williams

As the answer is necessarily long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Maclean

Can the Minister at any rate give the cost to the Exchequer and the total number of forms in triplicate, or otherwise, filled up in respect of each fox destroyed by his officials?

Following is the answer:

The functions of a county pests officer are to obtain, by systematic search, detailed information as to the degree and localities of infestations by mammal or bird pests within the county, to co-ordinate the operational work on the basis of the information so obtained, to investigate complaints of damage by such pests, to give advice to farmers and others on methods of control and, generally, to ensure that pests are kept under control on agricultural lands throughout the county.

There are 58 of these officers with salaries averaging £500 per annum.

There is only one fox control officer and two assistant fox control officers, all in Wales. The fox control officer co-ordinates the various fox control measures carried out throughout the Principality. The assistant fox control officers organise drives (and also, on occasions, take part in them), encourage the formation of fox destruction societies in the open hill sheep districts, and generally advise on the measures to be taken to destroy foxes. One of the Ministry's assistant technical advisers for land pests destruction acts as fox control officer and he is assisted by one of the county pests officers and a former county pests officer. None of these officers receives any remuneration for these services.

A rodent operative is employed on the destruction of rats and mice in Ministry of Food depots and there are 75 of these operatives with an average wage of £5 5s. per week. In addition, there are the pest operators working under county agricultural executive committees. These operators are engaged on the actual destruction of rats, mice, rabbits, moles and other pests on agricultural land and the average wage paid to them is £5 per week. The numbers of these operators are constantly varying but on 1st April, 1948, they numbered 1,374.

Back to