HC Deb 07 December 1994 vol 251 cc290-2W
Sir Peter Fry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the role of veterinary inspection centres in promoting good animal health practices.

Mrs. Browning

One of the functions of the veterinary investigation service is to provide a diagnostic, advisory and consultancy service to private veterinary surgeons in agricultural practice and when an advisory farm visit is undertaken within this service, when a further investigation is carried out for disease surveillance purposes or when the service arranges promotional activities, every opportunity is taken to promote good animal health practices.

Sir Peter Fry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what time veterinary investigation officers are allocated for research and investigating changes in endemic diseases.

Mrs. Browning

Approximately one-third of the time of veterinary investigation officers is allocated towards the monitoring of endemic disease, the detection of trends in such diseases and the investigation of new and emerging diseases. Basic research is not a function of the veterinary investigation service.

Sir Peter Fry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the effect of time recording in the veterinary investigation service; and what is done with the information collected.

Mrs. Browning

Work recording in the veterinary investigation service is a normal management function used to monitor activities and to apportion staff time to the various programmes of the Department in which they are involved.

Sir Peter Fry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what literature the veterinary investigation service has produced in the last year for distribution to farmers or veterinary surgeons.

Mrs. Browning

Eleven out of 13 veterinary investigation centres send out a regular monthly newsletter to veterinary practices. The other two centres send out either an amended monthly report or a newsletter at less frequent intervals. A large number of advisory leaflets are also produced by the centres for veterinary surgeons in relation to specific disease topics. The veterinary investigation service is a frequent contributor to agricultural sections of local newspapers and contributes to local radio broadcasts. In the last year, 45 articles, short communications or letters have been published in scientific journals by the veterinary investigation service and staff have contributed to a further 19 articles in the scientific press.

Sir Peter Fry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the future involvement of veterinary inspection centres in animal health schemes.

Mrs. Browning

The future of the animal health schemes is currently under review as a result of the review of the animal health and veterinary group.

Sir Peter Fry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans has he to further reduce the number of veterinary inspection centres.

Mrs. Browning

I have no current plans to reduce the number of veterinary investigation centres.