§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials are employed in artificial insemination centres in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 10 December 1987]: The total staff complement for the centres is 111, although numbers actually engaged on the work vary from time to time according to season.
§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what agency he intends to replace artificial insemination centres.
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 10 December 1987]: The Department will be inviting formal declarations of interest in undertaking this work from the private sector. It is not possible to say which bodies will respond.
§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many artificial insemination centres are organised by the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 10 December 1987]: The Department provides the artificial insemination service in Northern Ireland through one main centre and 10 sub-centres.
§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost to his Department of each of the artificial insemination centres in Northern Ireland.
359W
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 10 December 1987]: The specific cost of running each artificial insemination sub-centre is not readily available. The total cost of providing the artificial insemination service was almost £2.1 million in 1986–87.
§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will keep the cost of artificial insemination replacement services at the present level.
§ Mr. Viggers[holding answer 10 December 1987]: It is not possible to guarantee that the cost of the artificial insemination services will remain unchanged for the future, or that present levels of subsidy to the services will continue indefinitely.