§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in theOfficial Report for each of the last 10 years the number of veterinary surgeons permanently employed by his Department; and what is his estimate of the number of veterinary surgeons who will be required over each of the next four years.
§ Mr. MacleanThe number of veterinary surgeons permanently employed in the state veterinary service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for each of the last 10 years is as follows:
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Year Number 1980 580.5 1981 563.5 1982 557.0 1983 549.0 1984 539.5 1985 527.5 1986 506.5 1987 464.5 1988 444.5 1989 422.0 We foresee a need for an increase in the number of veterinary surgeons in the state veterinary service over the next four years, particularly for food safety work including meat hygiene.
In April this year, Dr. Ewan Page was appointed to chair a committee to provide advice on this. Its report is awaited.