The Chief Veterinary Officer (or CVO) is an official in the British government, who is head of veterinary services in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 also each have a Chief Veterinary Officer.

List of post holders for the United Kingdom

The following people have held the post of Chief Veterinary Officer for the United Kingdom:

• Alexander Curtis Cope (1893–1905)
• Sir Stewart Stockman (1905–1926)
• Sir James Joseph Ralph Jackson (1926–1932)
• Sir Percy John Luxton Kelland (1932–1938)
• Sir Daniel Alfred Edmond Cabot (1938–1948)
• Sir Thomas Dalling (1948–1952)
• Sir John Neish Ritchie (1952–1965)
• Mr John Reid (1965–1970)
• Mr A G Beynon (1970–1973)
• Mr A C L Brown (1973–1980)
• Mr William Howard Rees, August 1980 - May 1988
• Keith Meldrum
  Keith Meldrum
  Keith Meldrum was the United Kingdom's Chief Veterinary Officer from June 1988 to April 1997.-References:* BBC News, 18 June 1999...
  
  , June 1988 to April 1997
• James Scudamore, April 1997 - March 2004
• Dr Debby Reynolds
  Debby Reynolds
  Deborah 'Debby' Reynolds CB served as the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United Kingdom from March 2004 until she retired in November 2007...
  
  , March 2004 - November 2007
• Fred Landeg
  Fred Landeg
  Frederick John Landeg CBE was the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United Kingdom and for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , a post he took over on 9 November 2007....
  
   - November 2007 to May 2008 (acting
  Acting (law)
  In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
  
    CVO prior to full appointment)
• Mr Nigel Gibbens
  Nigel Gibbens
  Nigel Gibbens is the Chief Veterinary Officer of the United Kingdom and for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , a post he took over on 21 May 2008.-References:...
  
  (21 May 2008–present)

List of post holders for Scotland

The Scottish post was created in October 2002, and the following people have held the post:

• Leslie Gardner, October 2002 - March 2003.
• Charles Milne, March 2003 - June 2009
• Simon Hall, June 2009–present

List of post holders for Northern Ireland

• Dr Robert (Bob) Milligan McCracken, 1998 - 2002
• Mr R M Houston

External links

• Government Veterinary Surgeons website