§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the technical competence of the Veterinary Products Committee and of the EC Veterinary Products Committee to judge the safety and human health aspects of the use of veterinary products.
§ Mr. GummerMembers of the Veterinary Products Committee are expert in a number of scientific disciplines relevant to the consideration of the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines. When aspects falling outside their specific fields of expertise arise, they take advice from the Department of Health and other suitably qualified experts. Apart from the Medicines Commission, we are satisfied that no other body of equivalent competence exists in this country.
Members of the EC Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products are officials from member states. They are not required to have personal scientific expertise in the same way as VPC members, but draw on expertise available in all the member states, including that of the Veterinary Products Committee.