Veterinary Manpower (Hansard, 31 January 1990)

§ Mr. Gummer

[pursuant to the reply, 22 January 1990, c. 572]: I would like to thank Dr. Ewan Page, vice-chancellor of Reading University and his committee for their careful and thorough examination of the issues put to them and for producing well-argued recommendations. 240W Dr. Ewan Page and his committee were asked by the Government to chair a committee to assess the need for veterinary manpower and demand for veterinary education and in the light of this to make recommendations on how increased manpower requirements might be met having regard to funding constraints. The committee was also asked to consider future arrangements for assessing the demand for veterinary manpower and determining the number of student places. Dr. Page's report has been published and copies are being placed in the Library of the House. The report concludes that there is likely to be a significant shortfall over the next decade and makes a number of recommendations directed at the Government, the Universities Funding Council, veterinary schools and the veterinary profession to rectify this situation.

The Government have considered the report carefully. They have decided to lift the restrictions on the freedom of veterinary schools to increase student intake in response to demand from the market by removing the ceiling on intakes to veterinary schools. The Government also accept the recommendation that they discontinue five-yearly manpower reviews and let student demand have a greater role in determining the intake of veterinary schools. However, as it is important to maintain a core of veterinarians trained to help ensure that animal health and public health requirements are met, the Government will review the position if it appears that these needs are in jeopardy.

The Government recognise that any expansion of veterinary schools will not have an immediate effect on supply of veterinarians. They therefore accept the Page committee's recommendation that in the short term increasing immigration of foreign veterinarians could be an important means of meeting any shortfall. The Government are currently considering a number of measures that would reduce the burden on employers making work permit applications and enable veterinarians' applications to be processed more quickly, as suggested by the Page committee.

I am asking the veterinary profession to consider carefully those recommendations that the Page committee asked it to examine. These include the question of immigration of foreign veterinarians, exploring effective ways of encouraging part-time working and later retirement and monitoring of manpower supply and demand data. My Department will also be consulting interested organisations about the Page committee's proposals to review the role of veterinary nurses and make greater use of lay persons.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is asking the Universities Funding Council and veterinary schools to consider carefully those recommendations in the Page report that relate to the funding and teaching of an increased student intake at veterinary schools.

The Universities Funding Council postponed consideration of the Riley report, which recommended reducing the number of veterinary schools, pending the results of the Page review. These recommendations will now need to be reassessed and the UFC has been asked to resolve this matter as soon as possible.