§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the training of poultrymeat inspectors.
§ Mrs FennerThe Government have decided to fund a limited programme to enable local authorities to recruit and train poultrymeat inspectors in Great Britain.
The assistance, which will be paid in the financial years 1983–84 and 1984–85, will cover recruitment and training costs, salaries and associated costs, and travelling costs, up to a limit of £195,000.
This scheme is intended as a temporary measure to prevent the poultrymeat inspection service from deteriorating pending agreement on a uniform system of poultrymeat inspection throughout the European Community. We will now be discussing with the local authorities and the poultry industry where the training priorities lie. Payment will be made under the Minister of Food (Financial Powers) Act 1949. A supplementary estimate for Class III, Vote 3, will be presented to Parliament shortly, but the cost of this service in 1983–84, £65,000, will be contained within the existing cash limit for the Vote.