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 has taken to ensure that veterinary practices are subject to effective regulation.

On 28 January, Defra launched its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA). At present, the VSA only allows voluntary accreditation of veterinary practices, which 70% of practices have agreed to. Our consultation proposes mandatory regulation of veterinary practices where each practice would need a licence to remain open. This proposal has been co-developed with key stakeholders, including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).

Additionally, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are finalising a market investigation into veterinary services for household pets – subject to the CMA’s final report, veterinary practices will need to be more transparent on pricing, make pricelists available and ensure owners are aware of their rights to get written prescriptions.