41. Mr. Wellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many plant health inspectors are now employed by his Department; and what was the total cost of the plant health inspection service during the last convenient period of 12 months.
416W
§ Mr. John SilkinAt 1st November 1977 the total strength of the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate was 70. The total cost of the service, which includes work on seeds, for the 12 months ended 31st March 1977 is estimated at £710,000. This figure represents the basic staff costs plus accommodation and general overheads, equipment, expenditure and travel and subsistence allowances.