Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 January (HL1333), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what specific changes to the Windsor Framework they have negotiated with the European Union; and when they will be applicable.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the noble Lord to the reply of 5 January 2024 which said that the UK Government has held extensive talks with the Democratic Unionist Party on the Windsor Framework over the past eight months. As confirmed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 19 December, the Government now stands ready to introduce a package of measures should the DUP reach a decision to proceed. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-19/hl1333.
We have nothing further to add.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific changes to the Windsor Framework they have negotiated with the European Union; and when they will be applicable.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has held extensive talks with the Democratic Unionist Party on the Windsor Framework over the past eight months. As confirmed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 19 December, the Government now stands ready to introduce a package of measures should the DUP reach a decision to proceed.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the electricity and gas tariffs for both residential and business customers throughout the UK; and whether these respective tariffs are contributing to a lack of competitiveness of the UK against its major international competitors.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Gas prices for UK industrial users are among the cheapest in Europe. However, the UK’s industrial electricity prices are higher than those of comparable countries because the UK has spread electricity infrastructure costs more evenly between industry and households compared to other European countries.
Some energy and trade intensive industries that are particularly exposed receive energy price support.
For household customers, the price cap ensures that default tariffs in GB reflect the reasonable costs of supply.
Government also provided unprecedented levels of support to households and businesses across the UK last winter in response to global energy price spikes.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks for electricity and gas throughout the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s Smarter Regulation programme aims to reform existing regulations to minimise regulatory burden, ensure regulations are contemporary and forward looking, and make use of alternatives to regulation wherever beneficial, whilst ensuring a well-functioning regulatory landscape. Alongside this, the Government’s retail energy reform programme aims to ensure consumers receive good service, fair prices, that energy companies invest in innovative products and services, and consumer choice contributes towards a lowest-cost flexible energy system. In addition, the ongoing Review of Electricity Market Arrangements is conducting a widescale assessment of the current regulatory arrangements for the wholesale electricity market.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Camrose on 27 September (HL10227), when the temporary pause to the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was introduced; when the work to launch the new procurements will be completed; and for what reason they closed the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme while the procurements were taking place.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was paused in Northern Ireland on 6 July 2023. The voucher scheme is paused ahead of planned procurements across an area, to enable the intervention area to be defined and to avoid the doubling up of public subsidy for eligible premises.
Procurements in Northern Ireland are currently due to launch in the first half of 2024, with the aim to award a contract to the successful supplier by Autumn 2024.
Where the scope of voucher projects will not impact on procurement planning, these may be approved and can continue to be delivered throughout the voucher pause period.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Camrose on 28 September (HL10228), how many of the 97 voucher project applications came from Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The number of voucher project applications awaiting approval is dynamic and changes regularly. As of 30 November 2023, there are eight outstanding voucher project applications for Northern Ireland pending a decision.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work in the UK of the British Committee for Iran Freedom.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the British Committee for Iran Freedom's work as well as its political affiliations. The FCDO believe that it is for all Iranians to ultimately determine the future of Iran.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the funding of the activities of All-Party Parliamentary Groups by hostile states.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK from foreign interference. We know that some states seek to interfere in our democratic institutions and processes. This is unacceptable and the government is taking robust action to safeguard our national security.
The regulation of All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) is a matter for Parliament and in July 2023 the House of Commons approved a new rule that APPGs must not accept the provision of a secretariat by a foreign government, or accept the services of a secretariat funded by a foreign government.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sources of funding for the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy for their activities in the UK.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not routinely make funding assessments on the UK not-for profit sector and has, therefore, not made any such assessment regarding the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the third tranche of Levelling Up funding for Northern Ireland; and when that funding will be provided.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
In Northern Ireland, the Government is not proceeding with this round of the Levelling Up Fund at this time. We will continue to work closely with projects and places in Northern Ireland that were awarded a total of £120 million in the first two rounds of the Fund and work with stakeholders on how best to level up communities in Northern Ireland.
Our priority remains seeing the restoration and return of a locally elected and accountable Executive, because that is what the people of Northern Ireland need and deserve.