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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 27 of her Department's policy paper entitled Protecting Animal Health: The The Government’s Approach to Veterinary Medicines in Northern Ireland, updated on 19 June 2025, how the proposed Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme will allow vets to use specific individual medicines not authorised or available in Northern Ireland when needed; and what steps she is taking to ensure relevant obligations under (a) the IE/NI Protocol and (b) the pharmaceutical acquis of the Union are met.

The Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme (VMIMS) builds on the existing cascade system that is well known to vets. It removes the requirement for a Special Import Certificate for products sourced from Great Britain under the cascade that are not vaccines. The additional guidance clarifies how vets can source medicines under the VMIMS scheme in response to industry feedback. The VMIMS aims to reduce administrative burden on vets when seeking alternative products from GB that are not vaccines. In accordance with the Windsor Framework, EU legislation in relation to veterinary medicines applies in Northern Ireland. The schemes we have introduced are compliant with EU law.