Asked by: Lord Moylan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the EU’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on trade and commerce in Northern Ireland in the light of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland; and what consultations they have been offered by the EU on this matter.
Answered by Lord Frost
The Government has noted the EU’s announcement on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. In line with the provisions in Article 13(4) of the Protocol, as an act that falls within the scope of the Protocol, but which neither amends nor replaces a Union act listed in the Annexes to this Protocol, it is a matter for the Joint Committee to determine whether it should apply in Northern Ireland. The EU has informed the UK of its proposal, as required by the Protocol, and we will carefully consider its impact on Northern Ireland and the UK’s internal market, ahead of future discussions in the Joint Committee.
Asked by: Lord Moylan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what public expenditure has been incurred on the (1) Traders’ Support Scheme, (2) the Movement Assistance Scheme, and (3) other such programmes for the support of Northern Ireland businesses operating under the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland; and whether they have estimated the full expenditure for 2021.
Answered by Lord Frost
The UK has taken forward extensive work on and invested substantial sums in the operation of the Protocol since the beginning of the year. The total spend on the Trader Support Service through to May 2021 is £125m. In procuring the contract, the UK Government committed over £200m in trader support through the service, and as it stands the forecast is for around £360m in support over the full two years to the end of 2022.
Since launching in December 2020, the MAS has supported over 140 businesses with the cost of more than 11,400 certificates; the scheme is now confirmed to run until at least December 2023. We have already spent £25 million on the Digital Assistance Scheme and the forecast is that total spend in this area could run to up to £150 million.