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Intervention Storage
Mr. Beggs: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the ecu prices per kilo achieved by meat plants for beef accepted for intervention storage in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the reason for differential prices regionally for beef going into intervention storage. [18337]
Mr. Baldry: Differential regional prices for intervention purposes only occur in the areas of Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Northern Ireland is considered a separate region for intervention purchases in recognition of the particular importance of the beef sector there, and the effect of its proximity to the Republic of Ireland market.
Prices awarded since March 1996 are as follows:
| Date of tender | Steers | Young bulls | Steers | Young bulls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 April 1996 | 261 | 240 | 241 | 220 |
| 7 May 1996 | 245 | 232 | 245 | 232 |
| 28 May 1996 | 234 | 219 | 243 | 225 |
| 11 June 1996 | 231 | 211 | 240.98 | 219.99 |
| 25 May 1996 | 247.431 | 216.237 | 244.575 | 223.608 |
| 9 July 1997 | 246.61 | 217.464 | 244.23 | 221.759 |
| 23 July 1997 | 249.872 | 224.085 | 242.892 | (34)-- |
| 6 August 1996 | 240.784 | 227.31 | 230.054 | 209.6 |
| 27 August 1996 | 232.247 | 218.727 | 222.936 | (34)-- |
| 10 September 1996 | 228.698 | 218.481 | 222.438 | (34)-- |
| 24 September 1996 | 236.234 | 214.879 | 225.542 | 193.964 |
| 8 October 1996 | 237.313 | 215.03 | 226.211 | 197.376 |
| 22 October 1996 | 238.692 | 212.412 | 226.067 | (34)-- |
| 12 November 1996 | 254.809 | 224.839 | 232.074 | (34)-- |
| 26 November 1996 | 266 | 266 | 266 | (34)-- |
| 10 December 1996 | 266 | 253.5 | 266 | (34)-- |
| 14 January 1997 | 273 | 273 | 273 | (34)-- |
| 28 January 1997 | 273 | 273 | 273 | (34)-- |
| 11 February 1997 | 273 | 259.961 | 273 | (34)-- |
| 25 February 1997 | 273 | 258.081 | 273 | (34)-- |
(34) No bids submitted.
Rendering Industry
Mrs. Helen Jackson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each rendering firm, the amounts paid to them by the Intervention Board for rendering cattle covered by the
5 Mar 1997 : Column: 684
over-30-months scheme, as (a) pounds and (b) percentage of the total; and if he will list the (i) tonnage and (ii) number of such cattle rendered by each rendering firm. [18495]
Mr. Baldry:
The provision of details of payments made to individual renderers, or other information from which such payments could be deduced, would breach commercial confidentiality. Information on a UK basis is as follows:
| UK total | |
|---|---|
| Tonnage of material rendered on which payment made to 28 February 1997 | 449,590 |
| Total payments, including VAT made to renderers to 28 February 1997 (£ million) | 55.4 |
| Estimated animals covered by above payments(35) | 977,370 |
(35) Based on 460 kg of processed material per animal.
Veterinary Scientists
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary scientists were employed on Government-funded projects at the Central Veterinary Laboratory by his Department on (a) the most recent date available and (b) 31 March (i) 1995, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1985 and (iv) 1980. [18190]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: I have asked the chief executive of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Dr T. W. A. Little, to reply on my behalf.
Letter from T. W. A. Little to Dr. Gavin Strang, dated 5 March 1997:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on the numbers of veterinary scientists employed on Government funded projects at CVL for various dates.[18190]
I should, perhaps, explain that we do not have a grade or job description that covers specifically "veterinary scientists". The table below relates to veterinary grades with an indication of the numbers of qualified vets in those posts.
5 Mar 1997 : Column: 685
| Figures at March 1997 | Figures at March 1995 | |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent veterinary | 23 | 20 |
| Permanent non-veterinary | 19 | 18 |
| Total | 42 | 38 |
The figures are only available for these dates since the others you indicated relate to our pre-Agency days and they will, therefore, have been included in the replies by the Minister to the other questions you tabled.
As I am sure you know, as a result of the merger with the Veterinary Investigation Service in October 1995, CVL has been part of the larger Veterinary Laboratories Agency. In addition to the figures shown above there are a further 63 staff at March 1997 within the Veterinary Investigation Division (old Veterinary Investigation Service) of the VLA. Again, for the pre-merger dates figures for the Veterinary Investigation Service will have been included in the Minister's reply.
The figures I have quoted are for all our veterinary grade staff in CVL and we cannot distinguish those employed solely on government-funded projects. However, over 80 per cent. of our business is for MAFF and therefore the majority of staff in the veterinary grade will be employed on Government-funded projects.
Research Establishments
Mr. Luff: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will make available further memorandums concerning the prior options reviews of his Department's public sector research establishment. [19202]
Mr. Douglas Hogg: Memorandums on the Central Science Laboratory, Horticulture Research International and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency have now been placed in the Library of the House. These set out the rationale underlying the decisions taken concerning these establishments, which I announced on 9 December for the CSL and on 29 January for HRI and the VLA.
Veterinary Surgeons
Dr. Strang: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary surgeons were employed by his Department and on projects funded by his Department on (a) the most recent date available, and (b) 31 March of each year since 1979. [18023]
Mr. Douglas Hogg:
The numbers of veterinary surgeons employed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at 1 April each year since 1979 are as follows:
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| Year | Number of veterinary surgeons | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VFS and VIS | CVL | CSG | VMD | MHS | Total | |
| 1979 | 491 | 102.5 | -- | -- | -- | 593 |
| 1980 | 483 | 99 | -- | -- | -- | 582 |
| 1981 | 471 | 97 | -- | -- | -- | 568 |
| 1982 | 459 | 95.5 | -- | -- | -- | 554.5 |
| 1983 | 467 | 72.5 | -- | -- | -- | 539.5 |
| 1984 | 460 | 85.5 | -- | -- | -- | 545.5 |
| 1985 | 444 | 83.5 | -- | -- | -- | 527.5 |
| 1986 | 422 | 75.5 | -- | -- | -- | 497.5 |
| 1987 | 381 | 67.5 | -- | -- | -- | 448.5 |
| 1988 | 381.5 | 71.5 | 1 | -- | -- | 454 |
| 1989 | 376.5 | 63.5 | 1 | 11 | -- | 452 |
| 1990 | 391 | (36)n/a | 1 | 11 | -- | 403 |
| 1991 | 408 | (36)n/a | 1 | 12 | -- | 421 |
| 1992 | 425.6 | (36)n/a | 1 | 12 | -- | 438.6 |
| 1993 | 422.3 | (36)n/a | 1 | 10 | -- | 433.3 |
| 1994 | 408.8 | (36)n/a | 1 | 12 | -- | 421.8 |
| 1995 | 395.5 | (37)20 | 2 | 12 | 42 | 471.5 |
(36) Figures are not available for CVL for these years.
(37) Does not include veterinary surgeons in the senior civil service in CVL.
Abbreviations:
VFS: Veterinary Field Service.
CVL: Central Veterinary Laboratory.
VIS: Veterinary Investigation Service.
CSG: Chief Scientist's Group.
VMD: Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
MHS: Meat Hygiene Service.
| Year | VFS | CVL and VIS | CSG | VMD | MHS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 294.6 | (38)60 | 2 | 15 | 42 | 413.6 |
| Current | 297.5 | (39)87 | 4 | 14 | 45 | 445.5 |
(38) Figures are not available for CVL for these years.
(39) Does not include veterinary surgeons in the senior civil service in CVL.
Abbreviations:
VFS: Veterinary Field Service.
CVL: Central Veterinary Laboratory.
VIS: Veterinary Investigation Service.
CSG: Chief Scientist's Group.
VMD: Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
MHS: Meat Hygiene Service.