My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, for tabling this very important amendment. For a long time, I have been interested in the growing resistance to antibiotics. The residue of many of them, used for both humans and animals, pass into the environment by different routes. One route is through sewage, which is then processed and goes back into the land where animals graze, and then enters the food chain. Flooding causes contamination and can cause infections through escaping sewage, and this can give rise to environmental and public health matters that need addressing.
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There is also an environmental problem of contamination of the river courses by industrial waste, leachate, pesticides and fertilisers, which can cause fish to die. Contamination of fresh water by rats’ urine poses an environmental public health risk as it causes Weil’s disease, also known as leptospirosis, which can be fatal. Rats and mice can also contaminate food. Increased asthma and respiratory disease due to poor air quality is another environmental problem. There should be an effective, well-funded public health system, which works in conjunction with the environment and agricultural organisations. Prevention of disease and the safety of the environment are of extreme importance.