NOAH's Message to Election Candidates

British livestock farming is battered and bruised, yet authorised animal medicines are still vital to protect the health of the nation's farm animals. Equally important, over half of all UK animal medicine sales now serve the health and welfare of companion animals. That is why the National Office of Animal Health is sending a message to all prospective parliamentary candidates before the General Election on 7 June.

Launched at the association's AGM on 24 May, NOAH's manifesto asks candidates to recognise the essential role of authorised animal medicines in providing the best possible care for pets, sporting and food animals.

The stringent procedures involved in getting a marketing authorisation give assurances on a medicine's quality, efficacy and safety - yet regulations should not be so unnecessarily demanding as to prevent safe animal medicines from being on the market. NOAH asks candidates to reduce unnecessary red tape so authorised medicines can remain available, and to encourage fair and practical requirements in relation to the research and development of animal medicines. Requirements need to be set so that it is realistic for companies to look for the medicines of the future, and so that veterinary surgeons, farmers and pet owners continue to have access to products specially approved for animals rather than leaving them to take a chance on products not specifically developed for animal use.

Animal medicine authorisation is based on science - NOAH urges candidates to encourage progress in animal medicine research and development in the UK and to work to counteract attempts to prevent and hinder the research necessary to produce new medicines in animals.

Controls are there - yet people may not be aware of them. Good efforts have been made. But there is still much to do to increase public awareness of the stringent actions taken by officials and the animal medicine industry to ensure the safety of British food.

NOAH's final message is a plea to those that will soon be in power: help ensure that Britain's farm and pet animals receive the level of care and treatment that they deserve.

24 May 2001

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 37 corporate members and 10 associate members. In 2000 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £357 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.