The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee concluded its inquiry into Pet Parasite Medications (PPMs), on Tuesday 23 June, by hearing from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and regulators the Environment Agency (EA) and Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

The session will take place from 10am. It can be followed live or afterwards on Parliament TV or in person in the Palace of Westminster (committee room 4).

Giving evidence were:

• Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Defra;
• Abigail Seager, Director, Veterinary Medicines Directorate;
• Francine Fernandez, Senior Environmental Safety Assessor, Pharmaceuticals Team, Veterinary Medicines Directorate;
• Dr Robert Bradburne, Chief Scientist, Environment Agency.

Questions from the committee covered the following areas:

• evidence of environmental impacts;
• The need for Phase II environmental risk assessments;
• data transparency for sales and use of pet parasite medications;
• authorisation processes for PPMs and pharmacovigilance;
• monitoring in the environment;
• sufficiency of advice and guidance to pet owners;
• Regulatory independence from industry views;
• the VMD’s consultation as it relates to newer chemicals used in PPMs.