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 will take to ensure veterinary medicine supply via Suitably Qualified Persons will continue in Northern Ireland and not diverge from what happens across the United Kingdom from 1 January 2026.

The guidance we published on the two schemes in June was recently updated and reflects industry feedback; the updated guidance includes specific reference to Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs).

The two schemes will take effect from 1 January; where there is, or likely to be, a significant animal health issue, and it is appropriate to do so, products under the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme could be made available for supply by SQPs. More broadly, the rules for supply by SQPs will not change from 1 January.

In addition, we continue to engage extensively with the Animal Health Distribution Association who represent SQPs.