NOAH welcomes commitment to animal health and welfare and UK science in Queen’s Speech
NOAH has welcomed the commitment to parliamentary time to amend the Veterinary Medicines Regulations in the Queens Speech. The association is pleased to see the strong support for animal welfare and UK science.
Dawn Howard, chief executive, NOAH, said: “EU Exit means that a robust, sensible and proportionate UK regulatory system, firmly based on internationally recognised science and technical expertise, is more important than ever. We have emphasised that parliamentary time will be needed to review the veterinary medicines legislation and help ensure opportunities that EU Exit may present come to fruition, and are pleased to see this has been specifically included within the Medical and Medical Devices Bill”.
As the animal health sector evolves, NOAH welcomes the commitment to develop regulatory approaches and the strong commitment to science and innovation the Queen’s Speech spells out.
Dawn said: “The UK is in a strong position to be a global centre of excellence for animal medicines – part of any leading life sciences global hub, supporting both cutting edge product developments and a regulatory model to benefit our national and international trade. Our priority is a vibrant and innovative UK animal health sector, encouraging the development of new and improved animal health products and services.
“We are also pleased to see that the importance of animal welfare is included in the new Government’s plans within both the Agriculture and the Environment Bills. Improved animal health is, of course, integral to improved animal welfare”, she added.
In relation to agriculture, NOAH’s Vision Paper for Animal Health and Welfare sets out the association’s ambition for the development of a new chapter in UK agriculture policy. This identifies what needs to be done and how it can be delivered to improve the health and welfare of UK livestock, placing animal health at its heart to deliver key benefits for all.
“Taking an animal health perspective will help deliver the benefits in terms of welfare that the Bill aims to achieve, as well as supporting productivity, sustainability and resilience of farms – all helping to prepare for changes in trading outside the EU,” said Dawn.
“Our paper sets out a holistic approach – as we believe no single action is going to deliver proper forward momentum. We look forward to working with the new Government to ensure our shared vision comes to fruition,” said Dawn.
