§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many vets were employed by(a) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in May 1997 and (b) her Department in October 2001. [15368]
§ Mr. MorleyThe number of veterinary surgeons (full-time equivalents) employed by the State Veterinary Service (SVS) for 1997 and 2001 are shown in the table. Of the 286 full-time equivalent veterinarians employed by the State Veterinary Service in 2001 as a whole, 220 veterinarians are employed as field veterinary officers. The work of these officers is supplemented by about 100 Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs) from the private sector in normal times.
Year as at 1 January Number 1997 289.5 2001 286.0 20011 316.0 1 As at October