Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the proportion of antibiotic use in the UK which is accounted for by administration to animals on farms.

The Government collects sales data on antibiotics sold for use in animals. Currently there are no data sets that allow direct comparison between animal and human use of antibiotics in the UK.

For 2013; the current best estimate of total antibiotics dispensed for use in humans is 590 tonnes. Total antibiotics sold for use in animals was 420 tonnes, of which 355 tonnes were indicated for use in food producing animals, including fish.

Based on these data, antibiotics for food producing animals accounts for 35% of the total proportion of antibiotics in the UK.