§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of man hours spent on(a) salmonella and (b) BSE at each of the veterinary investigation centres in 1990; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe table lists the number of man hours of veterinary and scientific staff time in each of the veterinary investigation centres in England and Wales for the period 1 April to 31 December 1990.
381W
VI centre Salmonella man hours BSE man hours Aberystwyth 1,006 579 Bangor 1,259 641 Bristol 3,379 708
VI centre Salmonella man hours BSE man hours Cambridge 3,056 2,764 Carmarthen 953 1,297 Lincoln 2,917 630 Newcastle 1,686 1,822 Norwich 5,936 592 Penrith 614 751 Preston 4,632 1,504 Reading 1,952 1,440 Shrewsbury 2,287 2,368 Starcross 1,779 1,333 Sutton Bonington 2,950 2,354 Truro 724 1,707 Thirsk 2,315 1,773 Worcester 2,264 2,528 Winchester 1,164 555 Wye 1,875 1,367 It should be noted that since the veterinary investigation service is managed and operated on a national basis, certain activities within both the salmonella and BSE columns do not reflect activity arising locally—for example, all examinations of processed animal protein for salmonella under the relevant orders are rationalised in one centre and the final histopathological diagnosis of BSE is spread over a number of centres to ensure as rapid a diagnosis as possible.
It should also be noted that the veterinary field service and not the veterinary investigation service is responsible for the field activities in relation to BSE and for certain field activities in relation to salmonella under the Zoonoses Order, the Poultry Laying Flocks and the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries Order and the Processed Animal Protein Orders.