Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations her Department has held with animal charities regarding veterinary bills.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Proposed reforms to the VSA support the result of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has provisionally recommended making fees more transparent, thus helping owners to make more informed choices on of the type of veterinary care they value.
Defra has engaged closely with several sector stakeholders, including representatives from the charity sector, in relation to our consultation on proposed reforms of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. Defra shall continue to involve animal charities in this work. Proposed reforms will allow veterinary nurses to independently carry out a greater range of work within their skillset. Independently, this will aid animal charities by giving them more choice over who can provide treatment.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) economic state and (b) financial viability of independent veterinary businesses.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not done its own assessment of the economic state and financial viability of veterinary businesses., however, it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. As part of their market investigation, the CMA carried out an economic assessment of the sector. The CMA released its provisional decision report on 15 October for the veterinary profession to respond. The CMA will review all responses before releasing its final report. Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report, and the items within it, when it is published in the Spring. Some of the CMA’s provisional recommendation will require reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, on which Defra is currently consulting, and further assessments will be carried out as required.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made about the potential impact of high veterinary bills in the context of the cost of living pressures.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.
Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations her Department has had with the Competition and Market Authority regarding veterinary bill costs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.
Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 is taking to increase transparency of the prices of veterinary bills.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.
Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made about the potential impact of high veterinary bills on animal health.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.
Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made on the affordability of veterinary bills.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.
Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 are taking to help support people with veterinary bills.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made a recent assessment of veterinary bills however it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has made provisional recommendations to make veterinary fees more transparent, helping pet owners to make more informed choices on the type of veterinary care they value. The CMA and Defra have regular discussions on the CMA’s investigation and Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report when it is published in the Spring.
Additionally, on 28 January, Defra released its consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 which seeks to incorporate the CMA’s provisional recommendations following further assessment. The consultation is also proposing increased ability for veterinary nurse-led care and the regulation of currently unregulated allied veterinary professionals, increasing the choices of animal owners and supporting the cost of living whilst enhancing animal health and welfare.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UK fishers on (a) challenges and (b) support required.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra Ministers meet with representatives of the fishing industry regularly to discuss a wide variety of issues including to understand their perspectives on challenges and support they need.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The table below details Defra’s advertising and marketing costs for the 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25 financial years. Defra publishes details on spend on a monthly basis on GOV.UK as part of routine government transparency arrangements.
| 22/23 | 23/24 | 24/25 |
Advertising | £274,456.69 | £827,530.88 | £26,426.58 |
Marketing spend (other) | £192,984.23 | £484,027.95 | £18,322.07 |
The current Government came into power within the 2024/25 financial year and completed a review of all 131 public campaigns with spend of over £100k.