§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many staff are presently employed by the Rural Payments Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; how many have professional qualifications in agriculture; and what they expect the equivalent staff figures to be by the end of 2005. [HL593]
§ Lord WhittyAs at 31 December 2004, 3,702 people were employed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). Of these, 308 have a qualification in agriculture or related sciences.
By the end of 2005, it is expected that 3,033 people will be employed by the RPA. Of these, the total number of staff possessing professional qualifications in agriculture is planned to rise rather than fall, owing to the RPA's commitment to a broad range of professional training over the forthcoming year.