§ Lord Redesdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will outline the framework and guidelines for dealing with the impact of veterinary residues on the environment. [HL4474]
§ Lord WhittyBefore any veterinary medicine can be placed on the market in the UK, its safety, quality and efficacy must be assessed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the UK regulatory authority for veterinary medicines, or by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. Safety in this context includes safety to the environment as well as to the animal and the user.
Post marketing surveillance is carried out under the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme, which receives reports on any pollution incidents involving veterinary medicines from the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency also undertakes monitoring for a number of veterinary medicines in environmental waters.
Information from these schemes is used to take appropriate regulatory action.