Health: Government Spending

Countess of Mar Excerpts

Monday 14th June 2010 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, strictly speaking, primary care trusts are not considered to be arm’s-length bodies, but the coalition agreement, which I am sure the noble Lord has read from cover to cover, indicates the new role and the functions envisaged for PCTs. Further details of our plans will be announced very soon.

[The Countess of Mar]

My Lords, will the Minister be prepared to consider joining together animal and human medicines and health? With global warming, with so many of our illnesses now zoonoses—in other words, caused by animals—and with so many antibiotics and other drugs used in common, would it not be a good idea?

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Countess, particularly given her wealth of knowledge and experience in this area, for putting forward that suggestion, which I shall certainly take back with me.