§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has reached a decision on the implementation of the Cunliffe report on the licensing of animal medicines.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonI am very grateful to Mr. Peter Cunliffe for his extremely thorough examination of the use of resources for the control of animal medicines. I am glad to be able to say that I have accepted almost all Mr. Cunliffe's recommendations. In particular, a new veterinary medicines directorate will be set up on 1 April 1989 within the Ministry. This directorate will incorporate the three separate units currently involved in licensing work. The post of director will be advertised shortly.
Most of Mr. Cunliffe's recommendations on procedures and on personnel matters either have already been implemented or will shortly be implemented. On finance also, I have accepted most of Mr. Cunliffe's recommendations—in particular the need for fees to be increased to cover the cost of the licensing operations. I consider that the setting of the directorate's budget should remain a ministerial responsibility rather than being transferred, as Mr. Cunliffe suggested, to a committee including representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. However, I shall be arranging for consultation with the industry to take place each year before the budget is set.
The question of exemption for the directorate from gross running cost controls, which Mr. Cunliffe recommended, is under consideration.