HL Deb 19 March 1931 vol 80 cc482-4WA
LORD STRACHIE

asked His Majesty's Government—

1. Whether the Pharmacy and Poisons Bill will permit agriculturists and owners of live stock generally to obtain supplies of animal medicines with the same facility as they do at present.

2. Whether it is recognised that some hundreds of thousands of bottles and packages of veterinary medicines are sold by firms direct to farmers through travellers who call upon them periodically, and whether a result of the Bill would be that details relating to every individual bottle or package containing poison would have to be entered into a book, with particulars of the ingredients, &c.

LORD PONSONBY OF SHULBREDE

(1) The Pharmacy and Poisons Bill will provide greater facilities for agriculturists and stock owners to obtain animal medicines and other poisons required in their business. (See Clause 18 of the Bill and paragraphs 58 to 61 of the Departmental Committee's Report, Cmd. No. 3512.)

(2) The sale of veterinary medicines to farmers in the manner described in the second part of the Question is of doubtful legality under the existing law (see paragraph 51 of the Committee's Report), but in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee the Bill proposes to regularise the practice, subject to conditions necessary in the public interest. In the case of the more dangerous poisons the existing law already requires that the particulars of every sale by retail of a poison must be entered in a book kept for the purpose which must be signed by the purchaser. How far this requirement should apply to veterinary medicines sold in the manner described to farmers will be a matter of consideration by the Poisons Board proposed to be established under the Bill.

House adjourned at half-past six o'clock.