NOAH rejects Pesticide Tax as a 'Tax on Animal Welfare'

The National Office of Animal Health has rejected Government suggestions that the proposed Pesticide Tax should be extended to include certain animal medicines based on "pesticides".

In its response to the latest DETR consultation paper, NOAH said that any pesticide tax would be a tax on animal welfare.

NOAH pointed out that animal veterinary medicines are licensed under EU and UK law. This licensing process includes an environmental impact assessment to ensure there is no harm to the environment when products are used correctly. "But imposing a tax suggests that these products are harmful", said NOAH director Roger Cook. "DETR are implying the licensing authorities are incompetent and farmers are not doing their job".

NOAH said that licensed animal medicines are used to protect animals - to increase their price would simply put an extra burden on our struggling livestock farmers compared to their counterparts in other countries in Europe.

"A purchase-related tax would hit all farmers whether or not they cause pollution, and would provide no incentive to farmers to behave properly or to invest in disposal systems. We already have the new Groundwater Regulations, which are aimed to prevent water pollution - time is needed for these to prove their worth", said Mr Cook.

"The pesticide tax is a very unhelpful proposal which will damage UK competitiveness while doing nothing to influence the tiny proportion of environmental incidents linked to animal medicines.

"Over the years we have been very pleased to work with the Authorities to reduce the impact of medicines on the environment, and will continue to do so. But this proposal is totally counterproductive and should be dropped", he added.

23 June 1999

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact Roger Cook or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website.

2. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 34 corporate members and 10 associate members. In 1998 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £384 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.

3. A copy of NOAH's reply to the Treasury on the DETR consultation paper 'Options for reducing the environmental impact of pesticide use' is available on the NOAH website.