Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the restrictions on veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland.

The Government has engaged with the Northern Ireland Executive extensively on the issue of veterinary medicine access. This includes through the Veterinary Medicines Working Group, which I co-chair and which is also attended by Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA.

The working group has met five times under this Government, most recently on 15 October. We are looking to convene the next meeting before the end of the year and intend to meet again early in 2026. I am grateful for the constructive and positive contributions that Minister Muir has made to this work.

The discussions of the working group are confidential, but the availability of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland is of course a key focus. In June this year, the Government published its position with regards to the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland, including its assessment that the vast majority of authorised medicines will continue to be supplied, and set out two new schemes to address any supply gaps. We continue to engage with industry and monitor the situation closely

In addition, officials in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Cabinet Office regularly engage with DAERA officials on this issue.