To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the budgets for (a) the State Veterinary Service and (b) the Veterinary Laboratories Agency have been reduced for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. (101410)

I refer my hon. Friend to my written answer of 24 October 2006, Official Report, columns 1723-24W, in which I stated that the resource budget for the State Veterinary Service for the current fiscal year had been reduced by £3 million and the resource budget for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency Service for the current fiscal year had been reduced by £2.4 million.

However, as our noble Friend Lord Rooker’s statement to the other House explained, there was an increase of £3 million in the capital budget of the State Veterinary Service so there was no net reduction in their budget.

Planned budgets for 2007-08 are still being discussed with the relevant bodies.