Speaking at this week’s (Wednesday) Westminster Hall debate, Ms Lockhart challenged the Labour government to engage with industry leaders and commit to publishing the list of key products that will be obliterated by the flawed Windsor Framework deal.

“Northern Ireland is potentially facing a veterinary medicines crisis at the end of December, and that’s not just my interpretation. Vets, farmers, distributors, manufacturers, and more than eight stakeholder organisations have been raising the alarm for months,” said the Upper Bann MP.

“There is a severe lack of transparency, yet we have government officials telling vets and suppliers to prepare for disruption. That’s a way of effectively telling them to stockpile, and it’s totally unacceptable.

“No list of what will be lost, no clarity, just “stockpile and hope for the best”. We need transparency and a workable plan!

“DEFRA is in possession of the full facts, but it refuses to divulge details of the types and number of veterinary drugs that will be impacted, due what it describes a “commercial confidentiality”. Obviously this secrecy will drive diversion of trade and real fear across the sector.

“We talk about a One Health Approach, but with up to 40% of key products and pack sizes at risk, this poses a significant threat to animal and human welfare, to the agri-food sector, and to Northern Ireland’s internal market.”

The MP added: “DEFRA Secretary, Emma Reynolds MP, must stop pretending this is manageable and publish the full details now. The sector cannot plan around silence and we are fast approaching the end of the grace period.

“What we have heard today in Westminster, is yet another Minister with her head in the sand, utterly tone deaf to what industry, manufacturers and distributors are saying in the public domain.

“Stakeholders have put their head above the parapet. Will the Minister commit today to publish the list, and will she actually engage with industry leaders, and not the department (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, who seems to have its head buried in the sand also.  

Carla Lockhart MP described the government’s veterinary medicines working group, headed up by Baroness Hayman, as “absolutely useless” with regard to the raising of concerns on this issue. “We need the message to go back very clearly. No concerns have been taken on board, by the very same Minister who visited Northern Ireland last week. She has listened, but not acted, therefore, as I far as I am concerned there is no mechanism for raising concerns which will actually be taken seriously.”

The EU grace period comes to an end on 31^st December. From January, Northern Ireland will move to two new schemes for the supply of veterinary medicines - the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme and the Internal Market Scheme -both introduced on the assumption that only a handful of products would be affected.

Ms Lockhart has warned that farmers, pet owners and vets in Northern Ireland could face serious disruption in 2026. “With the grace period ending within a few weeks, there is uncertainty and a lack of transparency about how the veterinary medicine supply chain will operate. The true impact won’t be ascertained immediately, but it is inevitable that certain veterinary medicines will be withdrawn from the NI market entirely. A reduction of up to 40% in medicine pack sizes is also expected.

“Vets and farmers are anxious about losing access to familiar and necessary livestock treatments, while pet owners could face higher costs or uncertainty in managing chronic conditions.



“I’m pressing the Labour government for full disclosure and clear guidance as we approach the eleventh hour deadline. Clarity is crucial at this stage. Rather than pandering to the EU, the Westminster government must publish the list of veterinary medicines impacted, or trigger article 16 of the protocol agreement. This government must protect the interests of Northern Ireland. We have a right to access the same safe, effective veterinary medicines as farmers in the rest of the UK.