The Department of Agriculture and Food did its best, battling valiantly on this issue in which I was very much involved, but it will now have to change our veterinary culture. Domestic law will have to be changed in this area. We will have to do what the French have done, even though they fought a hard battle against this change. The French have a system whereby the vet makes an annual call and provides a script to farmers who can then do what they like for the year. I do not understand how that can be in the best interests of the food chain, compared to our strictly regulated position whereby a veterinary prescription is only given on case by case basis following a clinical diagnosis. While that procedure should continue, it would effectively bankrupt our farmers. Therefore, we will have to change to the much looser continental system, which is not in the interests of veterinary medicine. To be honest, it is not in the interest of our vets and I doubt they will be pleased with it. The problem will then arise that if the vet gives a prescription and medicines are only available on prescription, does the vet have the monopoly on the supply of the drugs. The view of the pharmacists and the co-operatives, which are now involved in this area, will be that in practice, if not in theory, we are handing over a monopoly on the supply of veterinary medicines to the veterinary practitioners, all of whom have shops. In Denmark, a veterinary practitioner who gives a veterinary prescription is now allowed to have a retail outlet as part of his practice. We are opening up a whole new, difficult cultural area, therefore, and that is not in the best interests of our excellent veterinary practices.