§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps the Government are taking to ensure that animal owners are not limited to buying animal medicines from veterinary surgeons under EU directive 2001/82/EC; [39300]
(2) what assessment she has made of likely employment effects of the implementation of EU directive 2001/82/EC. [39299]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 1 March 2002]: Directive 2001/82/EC consolidated a number of Directives concerning veterinary medicinal products into a single text. Its purpose was not to introduce any substantive changes to the controls on veterinary medicines that 587W previously existed. Therefore there are no likely effects on employment as a consequence of its implementation. Nor is there anything in Directive 2001/82/EC that would limit animal owners to buying veterinary medicines from veterinary surgeons.
However, the European commission has proposed amendments to Directive 2001/82/EC, one of which would require medicines for food-producing animals to be supplied only in accordance with a veterinary prescription. Under UK legislation veterinary medicines for which a prescription is required may be supplied by veterinary surgeons or registered pharmacists. In its present form this particular proposal could result in UK farmers having to pay more by incurring veterinary surgeons' fees when obtaining those medicines that are currently available without veterinary intervention. Furthermore, it could restrict the number and types of veterinary medicines that may be supplied by registered agricultural merchants and saddlers, to a limited range of products for dogs and cats. This could have significant adverse effects on those businesses.
In considering this proposal the Government has taken account of its likely impact on the supply of veterinary medicines and has agreed that, during negotiations, UK officials should seek to modify the proposal to enable a flexible approach to the distribution of veterinary medicinal products that takes advantage of existing national practices, so long as consumer protection and animal welfare can be demonstrably assured.
The proposed amendments to Directive 2001/82 do not change the current arrangements for selling medicines for companion animals.