Veterinary Medicines: Northern Ireland

Debate between Carla Lockhart and Robin Swann

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Robin Swann]

The hon. Member raises another valid point. Northern Ireland is exposed because of the divergence caused by the terms of the Windsor framework. Our supply chains, unlike those elsewhere in the United Kingdom, are subject to the additional EU rules.

[Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Gentleman for bringing this issue forward. He is right in saying that it affects not just us, but vets, distributors and manufacturers. Over eight major organisations are saying that. Does he agree that there has been secrecy and a lack of transparency on the part of the Government and the Secretary of State, and that the Secretary of State needs to stop pretending that this is manageable and publish the full details? Over 40% of key products and pack sizes will be impacted, and that will ultimately affect animal health. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is not sufficient to say, “Stockpile and see how it goes”? The Government should deal with the issue immediately and unilaterally.

[Robin Swann]

I agree with the hon. Member. It is not just the politicians who are saying that: the British Veterinary Association has said:

“From 1 January 2026, the supply of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland will be thrown into uncertainty on account of the end of a post-Brexit grace period. The issue of veterinary medicines was not sufficiently addressed in the Windsor Framework, and in the absence of a veterinary agreement between the UK and the EU, the supply of critical products like vaccines for production animals, companion animals and horses, cannot be guaranteed.”

In June 2025, the Government announced the veterinary medicine health situation scheme, which was meant to permit the use of suitable alternative products from outside Northern Ireland through exemptions but, with only weeks to go, the definition of exemption is still unclear. It was also announced that the veterinary medicines internal market scheme will enable vets to use, when needed, specific individual medicines that are not authorised or available in Northern Ireland. Again, the process for accessing those is still unclear.

It has been reported that between 10% and 15% of drugs and pack sizes are expected to be discontinued in Northern Ireland, and we know that 20 of those have no suitable alternative available on the Northern Ireland market. If manufacturers find it unviable to continue supplying Northern Ireland, vets, farmers and pet owners will be left with far fewer options.

Ministers have informed me that they are working with four online retailers to ensure a continued supply of veterinary medicines in the new year. Animal owners with a prescription from a vet will be able to order medicines through one of those sites, but there is still no clarification as to who will be able to order and when—or even which medicines will be available—through what is, for many, a way of accessing affordable veterinary medicines.

It is important to note that, even if any of the four retailers comes online, not all drugs currently used by animal owners may be available. In some cases, alternatives or substitutes will need to be found, sometimes at very short notice, and unfortunately substitutes are not a fix-all solution. Allergies, intolerances and other sensitivities mean that some animals will not be able to use those alternatives. That highlights the ongoing risks and the need for a long-term solution.

Marketing authorisation for a product does not necessarily mean that it will continue to be supplied. Indeed, manufacturers are still finalising their decisions, which they may or may not communicate in advance of January. Northern Ireland farmers are already under pressure from the threat of disease, rising costs and the introduction of the farm family inheritance tax. Losing access to essential veterinary medicines would make it far harder to maintain healthy livestock and sustainable family businesses. Not only will pet owners feel the impact, with everyday treatments potentially becoming scarce or expensive, but animal rescue charities, which already operate on tight budgets, fear that the disruption could prevent them from providing for the animals in their care.

As a former Health Minister, I know that any threat to animal health is also a threat to human health. Effective disease control in animals underpins food safety, public health and the security of our agrifood sector, and antimicrobial resistance is a real threat to both humans and animals.

Family Farming in Northern Ireland

Debate between Carla Lockhart and Robin Swann

Tuesday 28th October 2025 Westminster Hall

[Carla Lockhart]

Absolutely. It does not take much arithmetic to work out the facts of that scenario.

In a recent joint letter to the Chancellor, signed by all MPs and peers from Northern Ireland, we set out a clear position:

“Agriculture is not simply an economic sector; it is a way of life. The removal or restriction of Agricultural Property Relief will place an unfair and unsustainable burden on family farms, jeopardising their ability to pass on their farms to the next generation and threatening the future of family farming.”

Those are not my words alone. They are the voices of rural Northern Ireland, speaking in unison in the House today.

[Robin Swann (South Antrim) (UUP)]

I congratulate the hon. Member on securing a debate that focuses specifically on Northern Ireland. Does she agree that what the Treasury and the Government have missed in the proposal is the unique nature of farms in Northern Ireland, where 99% are actually family owned? Even that promise of the opportunity to spread the tax bill over 10 years restricts families who want to invest in their farms, and puts pressure on not only the older generation who are concerned about the farm they are leaving, but the younger generation who are looking to the future.

[Carla Lockhart]

I agree with the hon. Member.

According to an estimate from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the policy will impact a third of all farms and three quarters of dairy farms. Think about that for a moment. Three quarters of our dairy farms—the heart of our agrifood export industry—could be hit by a tax change that would make succession financially impossible.

The knock-on effects will be vast. Meat factories will face reduced throughput and rising costs, forcing scale-back and possibly relocation. Feed and supply companies will see demand collapse, threatening jobs and investment. It is not just farms that will be hit, and this is not a matter of large estates or wealthy landowners. The average Northern Ireland farm is about 40 hectares. Land values in some counties, including my own, are in excess of £30,000 per acre. It does not take much arithmetic to see that many modest family farms would easily surpass the £1 million threshold.

Future of Farming

Debate between Carla Lockhart and Robin Swann

Wednesday 4th December 2024 Westminster Hall

[Carla Lockhart]

My right hon. Friend is exactly right: big businesses will be the ones buying over the land, and they are not interested in farming it.

I respectfully ask the Minister to heed the voices of farmers, backed by detailed analysis from the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers and others. Farmers know their industry best. This policy must be revisited to ensure the sustainability of farming for generations to come. Let us act now to protect the custodians of our land, the economic drivers of our rural areas and the hand that feeds our nation.

Our farmers face relentless challenges, and the abolition of agricultural property relief is just the latest in a long list of blatant attacks. For too long farmers have been denigrated and subjected to some of the most draconian environmental restrictions. They are blamed for polluting waterways, while raw sewage goes unaddressed. Across all four nations, farmers are held back by planning restrictions over ammonia, making it nearly impossible to replace or upgrade sheds, despite these improvements benefiting the environment. Farmers face real threats from disease, including bluetongue, tuberculosis and bird flu, with little effective support. In Northern Ireland—this is a devolved issue, but the point is still important—herds of cattle are being slaughtered because of a lack of decisive action on TB, leaving farming families devastated and unsupported.

[Robin Swann (South Antrim) (UUP)]

On the bovine TB agenda, does the hon. Member agree that what the recent Minister in Northern Ireland brought forward was a disappointment? There were no concrete proposals as to how to address the issue.

[Carla Lockhart]

I do not want to get into a devolved issue, but I will say that farmers are absolutely reeling from the lack of action by the Minister in Northern Ireland.

Farmers are increasingly being forced to adopt measures under the guise of supporting environmental goals, but many of these come with significant concerns and costs. One topical example is Bovaer, an additive aimed at reducing methane emissions from livestock. It is promoted as a solution to agriculture’s environmental impact, but it has raised serious questions in the minds of consumers about the long-term effects on animal health and consumer safety. Consumers are understandably concerned about the food chain, and farmers are left shouldering the burden of implementing often costly solutions, with little clarity on their benefits or consequences.

If we genuinely want to support sustainable farming, the Government must ensure that these measures are properly researched and justified and are accompanied by meaningful support for farmers in adopting them. Instead, what do farmers see from this Government? A raft of policies that show nothing but contempt for British farming. In the past month alone we have seen plans to abolish APR and a new tax on double cab pick-ups—the lifeline vehicle for many farmers—which will come into effect in 2025.

We have also seen the galling revelation that foreign farmers are receiving £536 million from the UK aid budget while our own farmers are left to struggle. British taxpayers’ money is being used to fund low-carbon agriculture in countries such as Brazil—the 11th richest nation in the world—and Kenya, as well as in Asia, while our own farmers face insurmountable challenges to their food security and sustainability. What good is environmental progress if we import more food from abroad, produced to lower standards and with a far greater carbon footprint than what we can grow here at home?

Our food security matters. Our British farmers matter. Yes, to this Government, it seems that they do not. I implore the Minister to reverse course. He should listen to the voice of farmers and prioritise the future of UK agriculture before it is too late. Let us support the custodians of our land, the drivers of our rural economy and the people who feed our nation.

Labour shortages are adding further pressure on an already stretched industry. Farmers are struggling to secure seasonal workers to pick and process crops. Whether it is heavy goods vehicle drivers, poultry workers, vets, butchers or abattoir staff—the workforce simply is not there. If we want a farming sector capable of meeting our needs and demands, the Government must overhaul their schemes and work directly with those who know the industry best to address these critical shortages.

At the National Farmers Union conference in 2023, the now Prime Minister said:

“losing a farm is not like losing any other business—it can’t come back...You deserve better”.

Before the election, he wanted a “genuine partnership” and said:

“We can’t have farmers struggling”.

He said they deserve “a government that listens” and “stability” and “certainty”. He wanted to roll up his sleeves and support our British farmers. Well, I call on his party, which is now in the driving seat, to pull back from this cliff edge and start to introduce policies that support our active farmers.

I want to finish where I started. When we think of the future of farming, we must think of those little welly boots at the back door of farm dwellings. We need to support our young farmers, and I call on the Government to do more, particularly on education. The very youngest in our society need to know where our food comes from. Sadly, all too often the answer is, “The supermarkets.” I therefore call on the Minister to address this issue with his counterpart in the Department for Education. We need a syllabus and an education system that teach our young people about the importance of our farmers.

As we stand on the cusp of a vote in the main Chamber, it is important to note that a recent poll demonstrated that more than half of those surveyed supported a farmers’ strike, on the basis that farmers are among the groups worst treated by the Government. I believe that those protests are coming, because farmers are at breaking point. Farmers in Northern Ireland increasingly need mental health support from Rural Support. There are reports of things getting too much for some to cope with, with people subsequently taking matters into their own hands. Farmers need our support; they need to know that their work and efforts—night and day—are appreciated, and that they are an integral part of our everyday life.

In conclusion, at the event in the Eikon centre hosted by the Ulster Farmers Union, I had the pleasure of meeting next-generation farmer and young mum, Lorraine Killen. Lorraine was inspirational as she addressed the crowd. She said that uncertainty, disappointment, apprehension, dread and heartbreak are just some of the raw emotions she felt as she reflected on the reality of an industry under immense pressure and a way of life increasingly under threat.

Let us redouble our efforts in this place and fight with every sinew to support our farmers—no farmers, no food.