§ Mr.ÖpikTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's policy regarding the use of Apistan in eradicating varroa; what other treatment for varroa his Department has assessed; and if he will make a statement. [28970]
§ Mr. RookerThe details of any individual application for a market authorisation for a veterinary medicine, including Apistan, must remain confidential to the applicant and the VMD. Apistan, however, is not authorised in this country and the administration of imported Apistan is prohibited by the Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) Regulations 1997 (Statutory Instrument 1997/1729) which came into force on 11 August 1997.
The question of any applications for authorisations of new veterinary drugs is one for the pharmaceutical and beekeeping industries. Any such application would be assessed against the statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. It is open to anyone holding a marketing authorisation to use the mutual recognition procedures if they wish to market a veterinary medicinal product in more than one Member State. Details of this procedure can be obtained from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
We are aware that beekeepers have in the past relied on certain non-medicinal curative substances to allow them to carry out a duty of care to their bees and to fulfil welfare requirements. The above SI would prohibit the administration of these non-medicinal curative substances only where, if transmitted to honey, they would be likely to be harmful to human health. If the substance is not harmful the Residues Regulations would not prevent it from being administered.