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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence provided by the British Veterinary Association to the House of Lords Sub-Committee on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in their inquiry on the Windsor Framework, which stated that in the current form "failure to obtain a permanent solution could see Northern Ireland lose access to 51% of the veterinary medicines it currently receives"; and what action they intend to take in response to address any reduction in access to veterinary medicines.

Under the old Protocol over half of existing UK veterinary medicine product lines supplying Northern Ireland could have been at risk at the end of 2022, which would have had serious consequences for human and animal health in Northern Ireland.

The Windsor Framework removed that cliff edge, with a three year extension. This was important to solve the immediate problem, but the British Veterinary Association are right to emphasise the need for a long-term solution which protects the supply of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland. This is what we are now working on.