Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current rabies requirements for Ukrainian animals arriving into (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Northern Ireland, and (4) Wales; and if there are any differences between those requirements, what are the reasons for those differences.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are processing Ukrainian pet import applications as quickly as possible, whilst maintaining our biosecurity standards. The UK has been rabies-free for many years, and we wish to remain so.
The current requirements for a cat, dog or ferret to enter the United Kingdom from Ukraine are as follows:
However, the Government recognises that people fleeing Ukraine with their pets may not have been able to complete this process, or may not have paperwork verifying their pet’s health status. We have therefore put in place new emergency support for those fleeing Ukraine with their pets. Using an emergency licence, people fleeing Ukraine can bring their non-compliant pets to the UK with any quarantine costs met by the Government.
The maximum stay in quarantine for a pet which has received no rabies vaccination is four months. England, Wales and Scotland have introduced a new rabies ELISA blood test that confirms rabies vaccination through detection of rabies antibodies. This will help in instances where refugees have travelled without vaccination paperwork.
Results can be turned around in a minimum of 3 days with some animals then moving to isolation if they pass the test. This will help maintain our strict biosecurity measures and allow people to be reunited more quickly with their pets when possible. This test is not available in Northern Ireland which remains aligned with the EU.
These new arrangements are only in place for people fleeing Ukraine with their pets. It is not available to rescue animals, commercial movements or to pets travelling apart from their owners, all of whom must continue to meet the full health requirements before entering the UK.
England and Scotland have temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originate from or have been dispatched from Ukraine, Belarus, Poland or Romania, until 14 May 2022.
There are no other differences to the rabies import requirements of pets between the Devolved Administrations.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of (1) the availability of kosher food in Northern Ireland, and (2) the restrictions imposed by the provisions of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, when fully implemented, on the movement of kosher food from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise the importance of ensuring the Jewish community in Northern Ireland can continue to access kosher meats.
We have been made aware that a supplier decided to stop supplying kosher meat to Northern Ireland. They explained that this was owing to difficulty for them complying with the Official Controls Regulation which applies in Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
We have been working with those concerned to identify alternative options. An alternative GB supplier of kosher meats has now been identified.
Goods moving from GB-NI would not need any certification under the proposal set out in the Government’s July 2021 Command Paper, Northern Ireland Protocol – the way forward.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the weekly number of common health entry documents which would need to be presented and processed if the terms of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland were being implemented without arrangements such as grace periods.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not hold the information on how many common health entry documents (CHEDs) were presented and processed for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, as common health entry documents are submitted to Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
According to DAERA’s estimations, if the grace periods were not in place, it is estimated that Northern Ireland’s Points of Entry would be required to process in excess of 12,500 CHEDs per week across all consignment types. These would also require a significant number of identity and physical checks.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many common health entry documents were presented and processed for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain in each week since 1 January 2022.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not hold the information on how many common health entry documents (CHEDs) were presented and processed for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, as common health entry documents are submitted to Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
According to DAERA’s estimations, if the grace periods were not in place, it is estimated that Northern Ireland’s Points of Entry would be required to process in excess of 12,500 CHEDs per week across all consignment types. These would also require a significant number of identity and physical checks.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the projected costs of the Movement Assistance Scheme for the next financial year.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The total cost of the Movement Assistance Scheme up to 31 January 2022, the latest date for which data is available, was £12.36 million. Of this total, £8.83 million has been expended in the current financial year. The forecast expenditure for the next financial year, 2022/23, is £13.1 million.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total cost to date of the Movement Assistance Scheme for each year since its creation.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The total cost of the Movement Assistance Scheme up to 31 January 2022, the latest date for which data is available, was £12.36 million. Of this total, £8.83 million has been expended in the current financial year. The forecast expenditure for the next financial year, 2022/23, is £13.1 million.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed (1) directly, and (2) indirectly, in the operation of the Movement Assistance Scheme.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At the end of February 2022, 31 people were directly employed on either a full-time or a part-time basis in the operation of the Movement Assistant Scheme across both Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), including APHA helplines. It is not possible to indicate how many are indirectly so employed.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 24 December 2021 (HL4865), whether, under the law currently in force, goods from Northern Ireland can continue to use GB packaging or must have (1) NI, or (2) EU, packaging, as a result of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland which requires Northern Ireland to abide by EU rules on single plastics.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
There is currently nothing to prevent goods from Northern Ireland from using GB packaging.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether goods from Northern Ireland can continue to use GB packaging or must have (1) NI, or (2) EU, packaging, as a result of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland which requires Northern Ireland to abide by EU rules on single plastics.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
UK officials are continuing intensive discussions with EU counterparts regarding the NI Protocol and proposals as outlined in the Government's Command Paper. These will continue in the New Year.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions hisw Department has had with the Northern Ireland executive on ensuring the affordability of essential services such as energy and water for older people in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Energy policy is the responsibility of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy.
Responsibility for water supply and charging is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. No discussions about the issue of affordability of water services for older people in Northern Ireland have therefore taken place.