PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Livestock: Antibiotics (15 July 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2015 from the Minister of State in her Department, Official Report, column 446, on farm animals: disease, what her policy is on routine preventative antibiotic administration through mass medication where there are no clinical signs of disease in any of the animals in the group being treated.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

It has been made very clear that we do not support the routine preventative use of antibiotics, or the use of antibiotics to compensate for poor animal husbandry. This was reiterated in the responsible use of animal medicines on farm, published in December 2014.

On occasions when a contagious disease is found present within a group of animals, a veterinary surgeon may decide it necessary to treat all animals in the group, including ones not currently showing symptoms, but which are considered likely to be sub-clinically infected.

Such prescribing decisions should be made on a case by case basis, on the clinical judgement of a veterinary surgeon following consideration of all factors involved, to maintain animal health and welfare.

Answered by:
George Eustice (Conservative)
20 July 2015