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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will assess the effect of the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme on the agri-food supply chain in Northern Ireland during the first year of implementation.

We are confident in the two schemes being introduced by the Government and will continue to closely monitor the situation over the upcoming year and beyond. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will be conducting an assessment of the effectiveness/use of the two schemes in 6-12 months after first implementation. Our current assessment is that there will be minimal disruptions to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland and the agri-food supply chain will continue as it is now.

The use of these schemes will not in any way impair the ability of businesses in Northern Ireland to sell to businesses and consumers in the EU, including live animals or products of animal origin. They will be able to sell in the EU as they do now, and they do not need to make any changes. The two schemes will take effect from 1 January, and we will monitor their effectiveness.