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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the response to the consultation on the reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 will be published.

Defra’s consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 ran from 28 January to 25 March 2026 and received over 6,000 responses. Additionally, on 24 March 2026, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its final report on its market investigation into veterinary services for household pets.

Given the volume of consultation responses and the need to consider these alongside the CMA’s recommendations, this Government will publish its response later this summer: Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 - GOV.UK.