Carla Lockhart MP: written questions
208 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Veterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what arrangements are being put in place to ensure clear and timely public communication to farmers and pet owners in Northern Ireland on any changes to the availability or prescribing
Answer: The Government has been taking steps to support businesses and end-users in preparation ahead of 1 January. This includes communications to the farming sector and pet owners. In addition to guidance, we published a manual with specific information for pet...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the readiness of veterinary practices and farm businesses in Northern Ireland for the end of the grace period on veterinary m
Answer: The Government continues to engage extensively with industry stakeholders across the supply chain to support them with continued availability of veterinary medicines beyond the grace period. This includes engagement with veterinary and farmer associations...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when final commercial decisions from manufacturers on veterinary medicine product availability in Northern Ireland will be communicated to veterinary practices and Suitably Qualified P
Answer: Most pharmaceutical companies have already taken or are taking steps to make the required adjustments so we are confident that the disruption to veterinary medicines supply will be limited. Several larger companies have also communicated these decisions p...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what direct engagement the Veterinary Medicines Directorate has undertaken with frontline veterinary practices in Northern Ireland to support practical preparedness for the end of the
Answer: Our stakeholder engagement continues to be extensive. In addition to recent in person meetings in Northern Ireland and webinars planned for the end of November, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate meet monthly with wholesalers based in Northern Ireland a...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to pack sizes, prescribing routes and product availability after 31 December 2025 on farm businesses and pet owners in N
Answer: We continue to engage with businesses across the supply chain to support the transition at the end of this year to ensure that vets, farmers and pet owners continue to have the access to medicines that they need from 1 January. We are aware of the impact ...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the establishment of (i) online and (ii) centralised distributors and (b) other market concentration in the veterinary medic
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring the continued supply and availability of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland at the end of the grace period. Through our extensive engagement, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already establish...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that veterinary practices and farm businesses in Northern Ireland receive advance notification of changes to the availability of veterinary medicines
Answer: Guidance was issued in a timely manner; first published in June and updated in October and November. Updated guidance included specific references to vets and Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs). Continued access to veterinary medicines for Northern Ireland...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of issuing Northern Ireland-specific operational guidance close to the end of the grace period on the ability of veterin
Answer: Guidance was issued in a timely manner; it was first published in June and updated in October and November. Updated guidance included specific references to vets and Suitably Qualified Persons. The updated guidance and new supporting explainer were develo...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure cross-departmental decision-making between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Departme
Answer: Cross-departmental decision-making arrangements are an internal Government matter.
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the number of veterinary medicine products expected to be (a) withdrawn and (b) altered in Northern Ireland after 31 December 2025.
Answer: Many businesses have already taken the steps to make the required adjustments so we are confident that the disruption to veterinary medicines supply will be limited. After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate remains that between 10-15% ...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92106More
Question: 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 U
Answer: 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 i...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92105More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the proposed changes to veterinary medicines supply routes will impact the ability of pet owners in Northern Ireland to fill veterinary prescriptions from online veterinary pharmac
Answer: We appreciate that accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. Through our extensive engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up a...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92104More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will assess the effect of the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme on the agri-food supply chain in
Answer: We are confident in the two schemes being introduced by the Government and will continue to closely monitor the situation over the upcoming year and beyond. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) will be conducting an assessment of the effectiveness/u...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92103More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure that Northern Ireland producers are not placed at a structural disadvantage relative to counterparts in Great Britain as a result of the new veteri
Answer: We appreciate that accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. Through our extensive engagements, we are aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up a...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordVeterinary Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact on the competitiveness of Northern Ireland farm businesses in the event access to routine veterinary medicines diverges
Answer: In accordance with the Windsor Framework, EU legislation in relation to veterinary medicines applies in Northern Ireland in order to maintain Northern Ireland’s dual market access. After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate is that 10-15...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Service Broadcasting: Northern IrelandDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89661More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure equitable levels of representation of Northern Ireland in UK (a) broadcasting and (b) public service media.
Answer: Public service media plays an important role in terms of providing news and other content which reflects the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the nations and regions, including Northern Ireland. Currently under their Operating ...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of border security measures at (a) ports and (b) airports in Northern Ireland.
Answer: Border Force performs checks on 100% of passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services, enabling interventions against those known or suspected to pose a risk to the national interest.The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative relations...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89659More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been relocated to Northern Ireland since January 2024.
Answer: Northern Ireland is not a dispersal area and asylum seekers are therefore not routed between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Only those claiming asylum in Northern Ireland are accommodated there. Northern Ireland’s asylum population is however, propor...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNational SecurityHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89658More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of preparedness for changes in the national terror threat level in (a) general and (b) Northern Ireland.
Answer: The UK National Threat Level remains at SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely. The UK National Threat Level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre who consider all relevant intelligence and information to produce an assessment of the threat from...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordUK Border Force: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89657More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Border Force officers are deployed in Northern Ireland.
Answer: As an intelligence-informed organisation, Border Force do not disclose specific details regarding the deployment of resources to individual border threats. This is to ensure the integrity of our operations, and avoid compromising the effectiveness of our ...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPolice: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89656More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on ensuring parity of policing resources between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Answer: Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and decisions on the allocation of police funding rests with the Northern Ireland Executive.Since 2010, the Home Office has had responsibility for police funding only in England and Wales.
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration Controls: Northern IrelandHome OfficeTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89655More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of immigration controls to prevent human trafficking over the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Answer: As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from Ireland to the UK, with no immigration checks being undertaken on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.The UK carries out intel...
Answered 18 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending statutory guidance to clarify the intent of section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill on the reporting of abuse of 13-16 year olds th
Answer: When recommending the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity betw...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: ProtectionHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86337More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Casey review, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that victims aged 13 to 16 are adequately protected under section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answer: When recommending the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity betw...
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 29 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86336More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will provide guidance to statutory safeguarding partners on (a) recognising and (b) responding to the grooming and exploitation of 13 to 16-year-olds.
Answer: The Government is committed to protecting and safeguarding all children and working to strengthen our response to identify and combat all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse and grooming....
Answered 5 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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