Veterinary Medicines: Northern Ireland

Debate between Carla Lockhart and Emma Hardy

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Emma Hardy]

Through our engagement, we are aware of multiple companies that are either being established in Northern Ireland or planning to set up as online retailers there. That is expected to ensure that medicines will remain available through online channels. The Government appreciate that access to online retailers for pet owners to obtain veterinary medicines for their pets is of great importance, so this is something we are monitoring closely. Of course, it would be a positive outcome if those companies were setting up as online retailers in Northern Ireland. As a pet owner myself, I recognise how important it is for pet owners to be able to get the medication their beloved pets need.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will respond rapidly. We welcome feedback from stakeholders on specific issues and will continue to work with industry as we have done.

[Carla Lockhart]

Forgive us for not looking at this through the rose-tinted glasses that the Minister has presented today. I feel that what we have heard is another Minister with their head in the sand, utterly tone deaf to what industry, manufacturers and distributors are saying in the public domain. They have put their heads above the parapet. Will the Minister today commit to publishing the list? No one has seen it or has any understanding of it. Will the Minister actually engage with those industry leaders and not just the Department in Northern Ireland, which also seems to have its head in the sand? These industry leaders are saying that we will be at crisis point come the end of this year.

[Emma Hardy]

With respect to the hon. Lady, I refute the idea that this Government have their head in the sand. If we had, we would not have just sent a Minister, Baroness Hayman, to Northern Ireland for two days to meet with everybody there and speak to them, and maintain the extensive engagement that we have. I completely recognise that this is an issue that the hon. Lady is concerned about, and I know how important it is to her. I do not want to be seen to not be taking it seriously, when we absolutely are taking it seriously. As I have tried to outline—because I know that this is an important issue—if there are things about which the hon. Lady remains concerned after the transition period ends in 2026, then the door is open to continue those conversations.

[Carla Lockhart]

Will the Minister give way?

[Emma Hardy]

I will just answer the hon. Lady about the list and then I will.

As to why the list has not been published, it is because of commercial confidentiality. We are unable to share businesses’ supply intentions. Businesses are increasingly providing clarity to their customers, and we encourage those who have not done so to do so.

[Carla Lockhart]

The Minister just talked about what to do if I need to continue to raise my concerns. We need the message to go back very clearly that there has been a veterinary medicines working group and it has been absolutely useless when it comes to raising concerns. No concerns are taken on board by the very same Minister who this Minister just said went to Northern Ireland in the last few days. They have listened but not acted. There is no mechanism to raise concerns or for them to be taken seriously.

[Emma Hardy]

I hold the Minister, Baroness Hayman, in the highest of regard, and I am sure that she is doing absolutely everything she can to listen carefully to concerns and will continue to do so.

I thank the hon. Member for South Antrim for securing this debate and allowing us to discuss the importance of medicine in Northern Ireland. Let us continue to discuss this and continue to talk if any issues are raised. I hope that will not be the case, but if issues are raised, let us work together on that as representatives of our fantastic United Kingdom.

Question put and agreed to.