Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1966 c. 36 |
| Year | 1966 |
Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966
1966 CHAPTER 36
An Act to make fresh provision for the management of the veterinary profession, for the registration of veterinary surgeons and veterinary practitioners, for regulating their professional education and professional conduct and for cancelling or suspending registration in cases of misconduct; and for connected purposes.
[17th November 1966]
B e it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
The Council
1 The Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
(1) For the purpose of managing the affairs of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons there shall continue to be a Council of the College consisting (subject to any Order in Council under section 21 of this Act) of the following persons, that is to say—
( a ) twenty-four persons (hereafter in this Act referred to as ‘elected members of the Council’) elected from among themselves by members of the College residing outside the Republic of Ireland;
( b ) four persons appointed by the Privy Council;
( c ) for each university in the United Kingdom for which a recognition order is in force, two persons appointed by that university of whom at least one shall be a member of the College.
(2) There shall continue to be a President and two Vice-Presidents of the College elected from among themselves by members of the Council.
(3) Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the tenure of office, election and appointment of the President and Vice-Presidents of the College and of the other members of the Council and with respect to other matters relating to the Council.
(4) Where the Privy Council make an order under section 3 of this Act which will result in a change in the number of members appointed under subsection (1)( c ) of this section, they may by order after consultation with the Council of the College—
( a ) make such alteration in the number of elected members of the Council of the College as appears to them expedient in view of the making of the order under the said section 3 for the purpose of securing that there is a majority of elected members over all other members of the Council of the College; and
( b make such consequential provision with respect to the term of office of the elected members (including provision modifying Schedule 1 to this Act) as appears to them necessary or expedient in consequence of the change in the total number of elected members.
Registration and qualification for registration
2 Register of veterinary surgeons.
(1) There shall continue to be a register known as the register of veterinary surgeons (hereafter in this Act referred to as ‘the register’) containing the names, addresses and qualifications of all persons who are entitled under the provisions of this Act to be registered therein.
(2) The register shall consist of four lists—
( a ) one, to be called the general list, of persons entitled to be registered in the register under section 3 or 4 of this Act:
( b ) one, to be called the Commonwealth list, of persons entitled to be so registered as holding some Commonwealth qualification;
( c ) one, to be called the foreign list, of persons so registered as holding some foreign qualification;
( d ) one, to be called the temporary list, of persons entitled to be so registered under section 7 of this Act.
3 Right of holders of university degrees to be registered.
(1) Where—
( a ) a university in the United Kingdom provides courses of study and examinations leading to a veterinary degree, and
( b ) it appears to the Privy Council, after consultation with the Council of the College, that the courses of study and examinations are such as sufficiently to guarantee that holders of the degree will have acquired the knowledge and skill needed for the efficient practice of veterinary surgery,
the Privy Council may by order (in this Act referred to as ‘a recognition order’) direct that any person on whom, during the continuance in force of the order, the degree is conferred after attending those courses at that university shall be entitled to be registered in the register and shall on being so registered become a member of the College.
(2) If, while a recognition order is in force, it appears to the Council that the courses of study and examinations leading to the degree to which the order relates are no longer such as to justify the continuance in force of the order, the Council may make representations to that effect to the Privy Council.
(3) Where any representations are made under the last foregoing subsection, the Privy Council shall give notice to the university in question that the representations have been made, together with such particulars thereof as may be requisite to enable the university to formulate their observations on or objections to the representations.
(4) The Privy Council shall consider any such representations and any such observations or objections made within such time not less than two months from the giving of the notice under the last foregoing subsection as the Privy Council may determine, and may if they think fit by order revoke or suspend the recognition order.
(5) An order under the last foregoing subsection suspending a recognition order may be revoked by a subsequent order of the Privy Council if it appears to them expedient in consequence of representations made by the Council of the College or by the university in question that the recognition order should be revived.
4 Examination by the College of students of certain universities.
(1) On the application of any university in the United Kingdom for which no recognition order is in force the Privy Council may after consultation with the Council of the College direct the College to hold examinations in veterinary surgery for the students of veterinary surgery attending at that university; and any such student passing any such examination shall be entitled to be registered in the register and shall on being so registered become a member of the College.
(2) A direction under the foregoing subsection with respect to any university shall cease to have effect on the coming into force or revival of a recognition order for that university or may be revoked by a subsequent direction of the Privy Council made after consultation with that university and with the Council of the College.
5 Supervisory functions of the Council.
(1) The following provisions of this section shall have effect for the purpose of securing that the courses of study to be followed by students training to be veterinary surgeons and the standard of proficiency required for registration in the register shall be such as sufficiently to guarantee that persons registered in the register will have acquired the knowledge and skill needed for the efficient practice of veterinary surgery; and it shall be the duty of the Council to exercise the powers conferred on them by those provisions so far as necessary for that purpose.
(2) The Council may appoint persons to visit the universities for which recognition orders are in force or are proposed to be made, and any other universities which for the time being provide or propose to provide courses leading to examination by the College, and to report on the courses of study, staffing, accommodation and equipment available for training in veterinary surgery and the other arrangements and facilities for such training.
(3) The Council may appoint persons to attend at examinations in any aspect of veterinary surgery at universities for which recognition orders are in force or are proposed to be made and to report to the Council as to the sufficiency of the examinations and as to such other matters relating thereto as the Council may require:
Provided nothing in this subsection shall authorise a person appointed therein to interfere with the conduct of any examination.
(4) On the receipt of any report made under this section—
( a ) the Council shall send a copy of the report to the university concerned;
( b ) the university may within the period of two months from the receipt of the copy make observations on or objections to the report to the Council;
( c ) as soon as practicable after the expiration of that period the Council shall send the Privy Council a copy of the report and of any such observations or objections which are duly made, together with the comments of the former on the...
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