§ Mr. Kimballasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to implement the recommendations of the Swann Committee in relation to, respectively, the promotion of epidemiological studies within his Department and under the aegis of the Agricultural and Medical Research Council and the establishment of Departments of veterinary epidemiology in the universities.
§ Mr. PriorMy Department's Central Veterinary Laboratory and Veterinary Investigation Service have increased their work on veterinary epidemiology, in particular in studying salmonellosis and in testing for antibiotic resistance. The Department is also co-operating with the Public Health Laboratory Service in this field. The Agricultural Research Council and the Medical Research Council have also taken the Swann recommendations into consideration in allocating their support for research.
Veterinary epidemiology already forms a part of all graduate veterinary courses and some diploma courses. I expect the Committee of Inquiry into the Veterinary Profession to consider and advise further 131W on the establishment of university departments in this subject.