Veterinary Sector
House of Commons · Written Statements · 9 Jul 2026 · 1 speech · Official Report
I can today inform the House of the publication of a White Paper outlining the Government’s vision for supporting a thriving, modern veterinary sector through reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. We are a country that cares deeply for animals, whether they are our pets and companions, our farmed animals or our wildlife. Veterinary professionals do incredible work to uphold our high animal health and welfare standards, safeguard our biosecurity, support animal disease control and maintain food security and public health, as well as enable trade agreements. To continue to deliver this, the veterinary sector needs a modern, fair and effective regulatory system that reflects the realities of today’s veterinary practice and supports a sustainable workforce. The White Paper sets out the Government’s vision to achieve this through reform of the VSA. It responds to our recent public consultation, which gained over 6,000 responses, demonstrating the significant support for VSA reform. This reflects the years of calls from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the profession and the public to reform the VSA. The White Paper also sets out the Government’s response to the market investigation into veterinary services for household pets undertaken by the Competition and Markets Authority. It confirms that our proposed reforms will address competition concerns and support innovation, consumer choice and economic growth. Since the current VSA came into force 60 years ago, the...