HC Deb 25 June 1996 vol 280 cc105-8W
Ms Jowell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of people employed by each of the next steps agencies under his Department's control; how many of those employees are women; and at what civil service or equivalent grades they are employed. [32728]

Mr. Boswell

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: Responsibility for this matter is delegated to agency chief executives, and I have asked them to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Letter from Johnston McNeill to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning staffing levels has been passed to me for reply in respect of this Executive Agency. (32728)

The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) was established as an Executive Agency of MAFF on 1 April 1995 and took over from local authorities responsibility for enforcing meat hygiene, inspection and animal welfare legislation in licensed fresh meat premises. The majority of MHS staff are meat hygiene inspectors and Official Veterinary Surgeons.

The MHS currently employs 677 meat inspectors (520 red meat; 157 poultry meat) and 5 meat technicians on a full time basis. In addition it utilises 114 inspectors (106 red meat; 8 white) and 47 technicians on fixed term contracts of 100 weeks duration. There is also a pool of 236 inspectors (217 red; 19 white) and 10 technicians used on a casual basis. As you will appreciate, these last two sets of figures in particular fluctuate according to demand. These inspection staff are supervised by Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs). The MHS directly employs 37 OVSs and in addition contracts out work to 110 full time equivalent vets to supplement them. 7 vets are also utilised on a casual basis.

In addition the MHS employs 75 managerial and administrative staff on a permanent basis and 21 on fixed term contracts of 100 weeks.

150 of the above staff are women. 109 are employed as either meat technicians, inspectors or official veterinary surgeons and 41 as managerial and administrative staff. Of the Civil Service grades, the MHS employs 1 female Grade 6, 4 HEOs and 8 EOs.

Letter from G. K. Bruce to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, on behalf of the Pesticides Safety Directorate, to your Question about the employment of women in the agency as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (32728)

As at 13 June 1996 there were a total of 212 people employed within the Pesticides Safety Directorate. Of these, 102 are women. The female staff are employed in the following Civil Service or equivalent grades:

Number
Grade 7 (PSO) 3
SSO 9
HEO/HSO 31
EO/SO 17
ASO 8
AO 11
PS 4
AA 16
Typist 3
Total 102

Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about staff numbers as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (32728)

On 1 June 1996 the Veterinary Medicines Directorate employed 100 full time and 15 part time staff. Women were employed in 58 full time and 8 part time posts in the following grades:

Full time Part time
G6 1
G7 5
SRO II 1
RO 4
SSO 3 1
SEO 1
HSO 1
HEO 4
EO 9 1
AT 1
AO 13 2
AA 8 2
Typing Manager 1
PS 3
Typists 3 1
SGB II 1
Total 58 8

Letter from P. I. Stanley to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question about the number of women employed in his Department's executive agencies and their grades in respect of his Central Science Laboratory (CSL) Agency, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible. (32728)

The total number of staff employed at CSL is 711, of which 326 are women. These figures include staff employed on a permanent, fixed-term or casual basis. The following chart shows details of numbers employed by Civil Service grade (or its equivalent).

Grade Total staff Female staff
AA 91 70
AO 180 103
EO 187 90
HEO 124 46
SEO 69 14
G7 38 2
G6 18 1
G5 3 0
G3 1 0
Total 711 326

Letter from Phillip Needham to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply direct to your Parliamentary Question in which you ask what is the total number of employed by each of the Next Steps Agencies under his Department's control; how many of those employees are women; and at what Civil Service or equivalent grades they are employed. (32728)

  • The information for ADAS is as follows:
  • Total number of staff employed: 1,852
  • Total number of women employed: 667
  • Women employed at Civil Service or equivalent grades:-
  • AA
  • AO
  • ASO
  • ASTLIB
  • CONS
  • CRAFT
  • EO
  • G6
  • G7
  • GFW
  • GO
  • HEO
  • HMCO
  • HSO
  • LIB
  • MCO
  • MCTG1
  • PS
  • PTO
  • SCS(M)
  • SCS(W)
  • SCS(WD)
  • SEC
  • SGBII
  • SGBII(C)
  • SO
  • ST
  • TL
  • TM
  • SCS(MD)

Letter from T. W. A. Little to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 25 June 1996:

The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on employees in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. (32728)

The information you ask for, as at 13 June 1996, is set out below. This relates only to permanent staff.

Grade1 Total staff Female staff
3 1
5 3
6 14 1
7 41 3
SEO 125 38
HEO 78 26
EO 153 69
AO 356 230
AA 278 190
Total 1,049 557
1Including equivalent scientific grades.