Veterinary Services: Northern Ireland
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Northern Ireland veterinary medicines divergence from Great Britain after 31 December 2025 on the competitiveness of farm businesses in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
In accordance with the Windsor Framework, EU legislation in relation to veterinary medicines applies in Northern Ireland to maintain Northern Ireland’s dual market access.
After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate is that 10-15% of products are expected to be discontinued. Many of these authorisations are dormant or sold in very low volumes, or multiple alternatives remain available. We therefore do not anticipate significant impacts on animal health or welfare issues because of these discontinuations. Furthermore, we have seen from several pharmaceutical companies that they have made commitments not to increase prices as a direct result of the supply changes they are making or have already made. Our assessment therefore is that we do not expect an overall negative effect on the competitiveness of farm businesses in Northern Ireland, but we are not complacent and will continue intensive engagement with industry and stakeholders to identify and resolve issues where they arise.
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