§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his policy is on legislation at EU level on prevention of use of antibiotics in animal food. [147454]
§ Ms QuinThe Government are aware of concerns about the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria affecting humans as a result of antibiotic use in farm-animal production. We supported an EU ban on the use of four antimicrobial growth promoters which were authorised as feed additives, which came into effect on 1 July 1999. We will continue to be guided by the principles established in the report of the Joint Committee on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and veterinary medicines (the Swann report) 1969. This report proposed that antibiotics authorised for growth promotion should be restricted to those which have little or no application as therapeutic agents in man or animals, and which will not impair the efficacy of prescribed therapeutic drugs through the development of resistant strains of organisms.