Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 26 April (HL14806), who is responsible for conducting tests to ensure overseas vets have adequate English; and whether they have had representations from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers on this matter.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the regulatory body for the UK veterinary profession, has the power to ensure that overseas vets wishing to practise in the UK have adequate English language skills. Rather than Defra, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has received representations from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) which refer to Official Veterinarian (OV) communication skills. The FSA continues to engage and respond to AIMS on these important matters. The FSA has a contract in place with its Service Delivery Partner to ensure that OVs who are supplied from overseas have adequate English language skills.