Ulster Unionist Party leader, Doug Beattie MC MLA, has requested an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis MP. 

Mr Beattie said:

“I have requested an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State seeking immediate UK Government action to protect the supply of medicines to Northern Ireland given it’s only six months until the end of the grace period for medicines on 31 December 2021. Action is needed immediately because the pharmaceutical companies which supply Northern Ireland will be making critical supply decisions at the end of this month. It is within the Government’s gift to act and they should do so with or without EU approval. We cannot wait any longer for Northern Ireland’s people to be used in a tug-of-war between the UK Government and the EU. The UK Government has a responsibility to act to protect its citizens and that’s what should happen. 

“I also want to know what interventions Brandon Lewis intends to make, if as speculated in media reports, the DUP intends to collapse Stormont in September. 

“He was willing to intervene on the cultural aspects of New Decade, New Approach (NDNA), but there were many other more important issues to deal with in NDNA, such as reducing waiting lists and investing in mental health. Robin Swann has begun that work, but with Sinn Fein threatening the survival of Stormont last week and now the DUP this week, what is the Secretary of State going to do for the ordinary man and woman on the street who are sick, sore and tired of the continued political baiting? I believe people want to see political stability to assist the Health Minister to start delivering on the critical work in the Health Service which will save lives.”