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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide advance notification to (a) veterinary practices and (b) farm businesses in Northern Ireland of changes to the availability of veterinary medicines.

Continued access to veterinary medicines for Northern Ireland at the end of the grace period is a government priority and we continue to engage extensively with industry stakeholders across the supply chain to support them with the availability of veterinary medicines beyond the grace period, including through the Veterinary Medicines Working Group (which includes industry bodies and experts), in person in Northern Ireland and through meetings with industry bodies and businesses across the sector, including vets and farming businesses. Where it concerns key industry bodies, such as the Northern Ireland Veterinary Association, my officials have regular meetings and will continue to do so until into the new year.

We have also published extensive guidance. This guidance again targets the full breadth of the sector, including specific information for farmers and vets. In addition, we will publish webinars later this month, for which we are currently collecting questions via an online forum. We intend to provide further information on products under the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme next month.