Animal Welfare: Vets

Baroness Byford
asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they accept the need for a baseline number of state vets formerly called the State Veterinary Service, now renamed Animal Health. [HL3905]

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker)
Animal Health's resources and work demands are reviewed regularly and the number of directly employed vets will vary from time to time. However, it is accepted that Animal Health's in-house veterinary capability is core to its business. In the last year, Animal Health has converted some 70 temporary veterinary positions into permanent posts, to bring the current veterinary staff complement to almost 300 full-time equivalents. A set baseline number for the agency may not be helpful at this time, given that the responsibilities of the agency will continue to change.