Debate contribution: Windsor Framework: Ongoing Harm

Debate contribution by Mr Peter Martin on 17 November 2025.

MLA

Mr Peter Martin

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

17 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Windsor Framework: Ongoing Harm

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5245259

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I want to pick up on a few points that have been made already, particularly by Mr Kearney and Mr Tennyson. Mr Tennyson used the phrase "pick at old wounds". Two thirds of their speeches did not address the motion but simply attacked my party. Now, we have different positions, but their speeches did not actually address the motion. Mr Honeyford finds it very funny, but, actually, what we are discussing are the impacts on customers and businesses, which affect people's real lives. To be fair to the leader of the Opposition, while I did not agree with what he said, at least he addressed the motion at hand. Hopefully, with the Bob Dylan reference, he was not suggesting that anyone was 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'. If he has not got the album 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid', I very much recommend it to him as it is one of Dylan's finest. I will pick up on the issue of veterinary medicines, which has been touched on already, because, over the past week, a number of constituents have contacted me about it, and when I told them about the debate, they asked me to raise the issue. As some Members have already reflected, the grace period for veterinary medicines comes to an end on 31 December.

Thank you very much, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I agree with my colleague. I can only reflect the correspondence that we get. People have concerns. This is affecting people out there, and it is our job to raise such things in this place and to find solutions to them. That is the most important thing in the debate. Some Members have referred to the evidence received last week by the Scrutiny Committee. My colleague, in opening the debate, reflected the fact that up to 40% of medicines could be discontinued from 1 January 2026. Some reference was made to colleagues who sit on that Committee. In fact, Baroness Ritchie said that it was more or less her view that the Government had, essentially, decided to do nothing until they see how serious the situation becomes in 2026. Baroness Foster, picking up on comments from my colleague to my left, usefully pointed out that article 16 of the protocol allows His Majesty's Government to take unilateral action to resolve problems if they see a diversion of trade. Surely that should happen. The Committee heard that over 90% of medicines currently supplied are likely to be diverted to Northern Ireland via Dublin rather than GB. It sounds as though the Government are suggesting that they will wait to see how bad this gets before they decide to do something. That is an atrocious position when it comes to animal health. It is also deeply worrying for businesses and pet owners. The Government have to urgently address it. Pet owners are receiving notifications about important medications that they purchase online from GB firms, such as eye gels and ointments, being discontinued. Are we seriously expected to believe that those products represent a clear and present danger to the EU single market? Such a position is ridiculous. I have been contacted by constituents involved in supplier-to-customer relationships who say that they will simply not be able to get those medicines from 31 December. That is unacceptable. They want some answers. I spoke to two veterinary medicine firms in GB — one on Friday and one this morning — about the issue. The Government must acknowledge that the trade diversion, including veterinary meds, needs to be sorted out. I thank my colleague Carla Lockhart, who has raised the issue at Westminster. In addition, last week, my colleague the deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met Nick Thomas–Symonds, who leads on the issue for the Government, and directly raised with him the provision of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland. His Majesty's Government's Ministers need to stand up for the integrity of the UK internal market and the United Kingdom as a whole. I encourage anyone who is watching the debate and is concerned about the impacts of the framework or the workings of the protocol, be they businesses or customers who are simply buying products from GB, to contact us. Members on these Benches will be more than happy to raise those concerns on their behalf. The Government will not be able to resolve the challenges through the full-throated implementation of EU customs. I simply say this: whether it is on customs, food labelling, veterinary meds or the movement of goods, inflicting more EU law on trade flows within the market will simply damage it. I encourage all Members to support our motion this afternoon.

775 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:48 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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