Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government will take to ensure that pet owners in Northern Ireland are not faced with increased cost or reduced access to familiar medicines following changes to veterinary medicine supply arrangements after 31 December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We appreciate that affordability and accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. We also understand that online retailers may offer more affordable options. Through our extensive engagement across the supply chain, we have heard positive news from several pharmaceutical companies on their commitments not to raise prices. Also, through our engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up as online retailers in Northern Ireland. This is expected to ensure medicines remain available through these online channels. We are also working to ensure that the Veterinary Medicine Internal Market Scheme operates in a way that reflects how consumers obtain medicines at present.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what direct engagement the Veterinary Medicines Directorate has undertaken with frontline veterinary practices in Northern Ireland to support practical preparedness for the end of the veterinary medicines grace period on 31 December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our stakeholder engagement continues to be extensive. In addition to recent in person meetings in Northern Ireland and webinars planned for the end of November, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate meet monthly with wholesalers based in Northern Ireland and relevant industry bodies such as the British Veterinary Association, Northern Ireland Veterinary Association and the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practicing in Northern Ireland. Through these channels we have been able to address issues and concerns that stakeholders are facing which is reflected in the guidance that was recently updated.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure cross-departmental decision-making between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland Office in the implementation of the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme from 1 January 2026.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cross-departmental decision-making arrangements are an internal Government matter.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what arrangements are being put in place to ensure clear and timely public communication to farmers and pet owners in Northern Ireland on any changes to the availability or prescribing of veterinary medicines after 31 December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has been taking steps to support businesses and end-users in preparation ahead of 1 January. This includes communications to the farming sector and pet owners. In addition to guidance, we published a manual with specific information for pet owners and farmers. We also visited Northern Ireland in early November and met several stakeholders, and much feedback is that many businesses are in a good place for the 1 January. Planned engagement over the next month via webinars will provide further information.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that veterinary practices and farm businesses in Northern Ireland receive advance notification of changes to the availability of veterinary medicines.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Guidance was issued in a timely manner; first published in June and updated in October and November. Updated guidance included specific references to vets and Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs).
Continued access to veterinary medicines for Northern Ireland is a government priority and the department will continue to engage extensively with stakeholders across the supply chain regarding the supply of veterinary medicines beyond 2025. This includes the Veterinary Medicines Working Group, in person in Northern Ireland and through meetings with industry bodies and businesses, including vets and farming businesses. Where it concerns key industry bodies, such as the Northern Ireland Veterinary Association, we have established regular meetings into the new year.
The published guidance targets the full sector breadth, including specific information for farmers and vets. Defra will host webinars later this month and intend to provide further information on products suitable for the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme next month.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the proposed changes to veterinary medicines supply routes will impact the ability of pet owners in Northern Ireland to fill veterinary prescriptions from online veterinary pharmacies when online pharmacies delivering veterinary medicines are located in Great Britain.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We appreciate that accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. Through our extensive engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up as online retailers in Northern Ireland. This is expected to ensure medicines remain available through these online channels. We are also working to ensure that the Veterinary Medicine Internal Market Scheme operates in a way that reflects how consumers obtain medicines at present.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure that Northern Ireland producers are not placed at a structural disadvantage relative to counterparts in Great Britain as a result of the new veterinary medicines supply arrangements.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We appreciate that accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. Through our extensive engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up as online retailers in Northern Ireland. This is expected to ensure medicines remain available through these online channels. We are also working to ensure that the Veterinary Medicine Internal Market Scheme operates in a way that reflects how consumers obtain medicines at present.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department will take to ensure veterinary medicine supply via Suitably Qualified Persons will continue in Northern Ireland and not diverge from what happens across the United Kingdom from 1 January 2026.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The guidance we published on the two schemes in June was recently updated and reflects industry feedback; the updated guidance includes specific reference to Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs).
The two schemes will take effect from 1 January; where there is, or likely to be, a significant animal health issue, and it is appropriate to do so, products under the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme could be made available for supply by SQPs. More broadly, the rules for supply by SQPs will not change from 1 January.
In addition, we continue to engage extensively with the Animal Health Distribution Association who represent SQPs.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of issuing Northern Ireland-specific operational guidance close to the end of the grace period on the ability of veterinary practices and Suitably Qualified Persons in Northern Ireland to prepare for changes to the supply of veterinary medicines from 1 January 2026.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Guidance was issued in a timely manner; it was first published in June and updated in October and November. Updated guidance included specific references to vets and Suitably Qualified Persons. The updated guidance and new supporting explainer were developed in direct collaboration with the British Veterinary Association, The Northern Ireland Veterinary Associations and the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practising in Northern Ireland. The Animal Health Distribution Association were also sighted on the updated guidance and asked for feedback.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of veterinary medicine products expected to be (a) withdrawn and (b) altered in Northern Ireland after 31 December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Many businesses have already taken the steps to make the required adjustments so we are confident that the disruption to veterinary medicines supply will be limited.
After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate remains that between 10-15% of authorised products that are currently supplied will be discontinued. However, most of these discontinued products are not currently sold in Northern Ireland or are generics with multiple alternatives available. We have identified fewer than 20 products where discontinuation would pose significant risks to animal health and welfare if these risks were not addressed; the two schemes that we are introducing will serve to address those risks.
Although these figures may change as pharmaceutical companies take steps to adjust before the end of the year, we are not expecting to see a significant change and continue to monitor the situation closely.