Debate contribution: Veterinary Medicines

Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on 21 May 2024.

MLA

Mr Andrew Muir

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

21 May 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Veterinary Medicines

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4491804

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Mr Elliott for starting the debate and for his constructive comments. I am very aware of the concerns about this area, which are raised regularly with me and are very much on my agenda and on the agenda of many people here in Northern Ireland. I commend the work that was done in the absence of the Assembly by many groups that kept the issue of veterinary medicines supply to Northern Ireland on the agenda. They were key in ensuring a further three-year grace period until 31 December 2025. I will set out a bit of context to highlight where we are and outline the complications of the situation for Northern Ireland. Up to the point of the UK leaving the EU, the UK veterinary medicines regulations were aligned with the European Union veterinary medicines legislation. However, new EU legislation was introduced, Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on veterinary medicinal products, which has applied in the EU since 28 January 2022. That repealed directive 2001/82/EC, which applied to the UK. That made an almost immediate divergence between the UK and the EU on the issue and between Northern Ireland and Great Britain as it repealed and replaced directive 2001/82/EC, which was listed in annex 2 of the Windsor framework. Northern Ireland is required to comply with the European veterinary medicines regulation 2019/6, which has many areas that could be potential risks to the continued full and comprehensive supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland. Members mentioned the various issues that may occur with veterinary medicines supply and have raised that veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland could potentially be impacted in some way through changes in pack size, frequency of supply or, indeed, removal from the market. Many of the products that are supplied could face some degree of reduced availability and frequency of supply, fewer variations of products and increased costs through the supply chain. However, as ever, as Minister, I am solutions focused. Although I am Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, I currently have no control over this area, as the movement of veterinary medicines between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is now subject to the direction and control of the Secretary of State, as provided for in regulation 3 of the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024. I have met groups and developed an understanding of the issues threatening our supply of veterinary medicines. I understand the issues and recognise the many concerns. Those same concerns have been raised by fellow Members today. We are all in agreement in the House that solutions need to be found. I consider it important that we focus on resolutions, and a mutually agreed solution is what I am focused on. I am not losing sight of the potential problems, but we really need to talk about and understand how we can mitigate this and come to a real-world, actual, durable solution. In an increasingly interconnected and competitive marketplace, where consumers demand transparency and accountability, our ability to uphold the highest standards of animal welfare is not merely a moral imperative but a strategic imperative. I believe that it is a sign for us all to work together to find a solution. I will take every opportunity to put forward my preferred solution. In that vein, I volunteered to take part in the UK Government's Windsor framework working group on veterinary medicines, which was established as part of the Command Paper 'Safeguarding the Union' and is chaired by Minister Baker, Minister with responsibility for the Windsor framework in the Cabinet Office, and Lord Douglas-Miller, Minister for Biosecurity, Animal Health and Welfare in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I was due to meet Minister Baker at 3.00 pm in my office, and I cancelled that meeting to come here to respond to the motion. I think that it is important to respond to the motion, but I will seek to reschedule the meeting with Minister Baker so that I can continue that engagement because that is important. As a member of the Windsor framework veterinary medicines working group, I have actively participated in meetings, discussions and consultations, sharing insights, contributing expertise and working collaboratively to develop solutions to promote the continued supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland. So far, the veterinary medicines working group has met twice, with a third meeting scheduled for 5 June 2024. Decisions are, ultimately, for the UK Government and European Commission to agree on. The solution to this situation must respect the international treaties that have been agreed between the UK and EU, and unilateral actions should not be an option. The recommendation to introduce legislation to prevent regulatory divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland would leave Northern Ireland outside the EU regulatory regime. The impact would be upon the movement of animals and animal products, risking many more issues than it would solve. I would not support breaching an international agreement. I want to reiterate that Northern Ireland faces a potential problem in access to veterinary medicines, with the possibility that many veterinary products that are supplied to Northern Ireland could be affected in some way, whether it be with regard to pack size, frequency of supply, or, indeed, removal of supply.

Participation in the veterinary medicines working group requires the signing of a non-disclosure agreement, because some of the matters that are discussed are commercial and legal and are, therefore, confidential, as the Member probably understands. We have discussed some of the flexibilities that are available in current law. As regards engagement with the EU, I cannot speak on behalf of the UK Government, but my understanding is that it has not been significant on that issue. I hope that it can be stepped up. I could have provided Members with a greater update from a meeting with Steve Baker. I will raise the issue when I meet him. I will seek an update from him and write to the Member and the Committee on the issue, if that is helpful. I want us all to work together to find a solution on practical, implemental actions to address the issue. It is absolutely key that we address it. I am committed to doing everything in my control to ensure that we provide as much certainty and stability as possible. The interconnectedness of animal health, environmental health and human health cannot be overstated; a reality that underscores the urgency of finding a solution to the issue.

I will happily engage with the working group, but the fundamental reality is this: in order to get a solution to the issue, it needs to be commonly and mutually agreed between the UK and EU. Within the current flexibilities, I do not have the confidence that we could get a solution without actually getting an agreement between the UK and EU. That is what fundamentally underpins the way forward. It is about engagement and trust. Any discussion about unilateral action will massively undermine that. We need to engage the UK Government and EU around that. I engage in the working group because I am focused on solutions, and other people are part of that as well. We need to get a solution. It may be that, as part of that, because of the timescales around it, we need to argue for an extension of the grace period. I will be honest with you all: I think that I am looking towards a change of Government in the UK to be able to get solutions on that, because the response that I have received from the current Government and their attitude towards alignment between the UK and EU have not been positive. One of the key solutions to this is alignment between the UK and EU. I will do all that I can to get a solution on it. Whilst it does not sit within my power and responsibilities, I recognise that it is a concern, and I will engage with any Government who will speak to me to be able to get a solution. I will also say, on engagement with the EU, that the current protocol from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office massively inhibits my engagement directly with the European Union. I encourage the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to reflect on that. Currently, my engagement with the EU is through the UK Government. It would be much more beneficial to have direct engagement with the EU so that we can engage and find solutions on the issue. I understand that we must adopt a multifaceted approach; one that encompasses short-term mitigation strategies and long-term solutions. We must seize this moment as an opportunity, a chance to re-evaluate existing frameworks, chart a course towards a more resilient, sustainable future and strengthen collaboration across borders.

3.30 pm Crucially, I will support the response that is underpinned by the principles of inclusivity, stakeholder engagement and respect for the law and by the voices of our farmers, vets and industry experts. Only by working together in partnership and solidarity can we hope to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. The negotiations on any agreements should seek to build trust and partnerships and maintain trust in relationships so that Northern Ireland is able to ensure the health and welfare of its animals and the health of the public. Doing nothing is not an option. Waiting until the last minute for a negotiated outcome would be just as bad, as many decisions are being made now by manufacturers, suppliers and wholesalers. The House of Lords Windsor Framework Sub-Committee inquiry recommends a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, otherwise known as SPS — we are very good at acronyms. An SPS agreement between the UK and the EU would not offer a complete solution to the issue, but it would set out measures to ensure food safety and protect the health of animals. It would also reduce a lot of the friction experienced to date. My ministerial policy and preference is to have an SPS agreement between the UK and the EU. I support that approach, because it would simplify so many of the issues that we face. It would reduce friction and aid trade between the UK and across the EU and lay the groundwork for alignment and mutual recognition of the veterinary medicine regimes in the UK and the EU. I have said this before, and I will say it again: my personal preference is to have a negotiated veterinary medicine agreement between the UK and the EU. That would be a direct, long-term solution to the issue. As Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, I am committed to advocating for the interests of Northern Ireland in the development of such an agreement, working collaboratively with the UK Government and the EU on ensuring that the health and welfare of our animals are protected. In closing, I reiterate that, at our next meeting with the UK Government — I meet Steve Baker once a month; it is important that we have that established relationship — I will reflect some of the comments that have been made here. If the motion is agreed to, I will write to the UK Government to outline my proposals and share a copy of that letter with the Committee. If Members can unite around the position that I have outlined — a mutually agreed veterinary medicines agreement between the UK and the EU — it will allow the House to speak with one voice and be united on the issue. Hopefully, Members can look to that as the direction in which to go forward.

1,949 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:33 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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