Ms Nicola Cantwell:

I want to go back the question that was asked about the legal advice that was given on the fact that responsible persons could not dispense prescriptions. It is quite difficult because we do not have all of the information. We have not seen the advice but we also do not know exactly what was the question that was asked at the particular time.

The licensed merchants, co-operatives and ourselves all want to know if the derogation will apply to us because we were prescribing. When you go back to 2007, the way the tradition of veterinary medicines, including the anti-parasitics, have been supplied was by us dispensing or de facto prescribing or whatever way one would like to describe it. The general consensus seems to be that we need a solution to the situation that we are in at the moment. The only way to get a solution and to have everything in place for the projected date, which is 1 December, is to have a strong regime in place to protect anthelmintics. This is only going to be achieved with a collaborative approach. There are four main stakeholders in the situation we are in at the moment. Three of these four are suffering and we need to look at how the four groups can work together.

The UK was able to halve the sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals just by collaboration between the Government and the stakeholders. This is what we need to do. I would like to see, if it is possible, either the Minister or this committee contacting the Attorney General to specifically ask how this derogation comes into play for licensed merchants, responsible persons and pharmacists. The three main stakeholders need to be considered in this approach. The only way we can do that is if the Attorney General gives specific guidance to these stakeholders. We all have our legal advice that tells us that we were prescribing, that this derogation should be continued and that the situation as it is at the moment should be allowed to continue. I wonder if that would be possible.