§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the possible health risk to(a) consumers and (b) animals of the use of bovine somatotropin in (i) milk and (ii) other products; and if he will make a statement. [17845]
§ Mrs. BrowningNo veterinary medicine is authorised for use unless it meets stringent statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. Safety includes the safety of the consumer of any food produced from the treated animal, and the health and welfare of the treated animal. As part of this process the applicant company is required to submit data to the veterinary medicines directorate, where they are carefully assessed by specialists qualified in various scientific disciplines including biology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, toxicology and ecotoxicology.
Applications for the authorisation of bovine somatotropin have been very carefully assessed by various independent expert committees in Britain and Europe. They have concluded that BST poses no hazard to public safety or to animal health or welfare.
Nevertheless there is a moratorium on marketing and use of the product in the European Union until 31 December 1999 to allow limited field tests in order to obtain any other scientific data that might be taken into account by the Council of Ministers when taking a final decision to the authorisation of BST. No application for such tests has been made in the UK.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations his Department has issued on the use of bovine somatotropin for (i) milk and (ii) other products; and if he will make a statement. [17846]
§ Mrs. BrowningNone. There is an EU moratorium on the use of BST until the end of 1999. If the Council of Ministers authorises the use of BST when the moratorium expires, no veterinary medicinal product containing BST will be permitted for use in the UK except in accordance with a marketing authorisation issued under the Marketing Authorisations for Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulations 1994. Its use would also be restricted to veterinary prescription.