To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of research staff at the New Haw Laboratory were (a) on permanent contracts, (b) on temporary contracts and (c) employed via an employment agency in each of the last five years; what projection he has made of the equivalent proportions in 2008; and if he will make a statement. (165926)

The staff in the Research Division of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) at New Haw as at 1 April each year are as follows:

Details of the temporary staff prior to 2007 are not available as VLA only took responsibility for liaising with temporary agencies with effect from 1 April 2007.

For 2008 we would not expect to see any material change to the figures that are shown for previous years.