Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 25 March (HL5539), how many people will be employed at ports in Great Britain to facilitate non-commercial pet movements under the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme, and what estimate they have made of the cost.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

UK authorities will be available to support and assist those travelling under the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme. The scheme will enable travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a simple lifelong pet travel document. We expect that the vast majority of people will comply, and the Government will be providing comprehensive support to those travelling with their pets to ensure they can do so. In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, the UK authorities will be undertaking checks to ensure that GB pet owners hold a valid pet travel document and that their pet is microchipped to mitigate against abuse of the scheme and disease risks.

In order not to undermine that approach, as is the case across the UK, we do not disclose the specific number of staff undertaking, or the nature of, interventions made by UK authorities. Facilitating these activities, including staffing, equipment and infrastructure, will cost an estimated £3.4 million over financial years 25/26 to 26/27 inclusive.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland following its agreement of a new funding package for community pharmacies in England.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL). As the Community Pharmacy Contract is being funded from within existing Department for Health and Social Care’s budgets, there will be no additional Barnett consequentials for the devolved governments. The Barnett formula has already been applied to funding previously allocated at the Budget in October 2024 and Phase 1 of Spending Review 2025 for 2025-26.

The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023, and the next version of the Block Grant Transparency will be published in due course.

The Northern Ireland Executive’s 2025-26 Spending Review settlement is the largest settlement in real terms of any since devolution and ensures that the Northern Ireland Executive continues to receive over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Navantia UK about the role of the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast in delivering the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Navantia’s purchase of Harland and Wolff is a significant investment into the UK’s industrial base and demonstrates Navantia UK’s (NUK) continuing commitment to the UK. This investment will further strengthen UK capability, modernising the shipbuilding facilities in Belfast and leading to increased productivity and capacity.

NUK’s delivery of the Fleet Solid Support contract and the provisions within are delivering against key aspects of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, including greater UK content and build, inward investment, engagement with SMEs and shipyard recapitalisation.

The National Shipbuilding Office is committed to working with the whole shipbuilding industry, including NUK, in supporting jobs and sustaining and growing our shipbuilding sector across the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to promote cultural exchange programmes between the United Kingdom and Northern Cyprus.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state. Several UN Security Council Resolutions limit links between UK and the north of Cyprus. However, the UK supports appropriate measures aimed at reducing the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and has funded various local projects aimed at bringing together Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities, including art exhibitions, film festivals and wider youth engagement initiatives. The Minister for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories met representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community on his recent visit, and discussed a range of matters with Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders at the UN settlement talks on 17-18 March.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to remove the export procedures to which five categories of goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain are subject under the Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024 further entrench the legislative protections for unfettered access, which remove the requirement for export procedures, except in extremely limited exceptions. Where these procedures apply, they are a result of specific processes, such as the movement of endangered species or international obligations binding on the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Timpson on 13 May (HL Deb col 2055), how much of the extra £1 billion for policing will be allocated to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out in the 2025-26 final police funding settlement, overall funding for the policing system in England and Wales will be up to £19.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 funding settlement

This funding is for England and Wales. Policing is devolved in Northern Ireland and so the Barnett formula was applied in the normal way to the Home Office DEL budget, providing Barnett consequentials to the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Northern Ireland Executive's Phase 1 Spending Review settlement is the largest in real terms of any settlement since devolution, at £18.2 billion in 2025-26, including an additional £1.5 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the removal of regulatory barriers on the supply of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is a priority issue in their discussions with the European Union; and when they expect an agreement on that issue to be reached.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ensuring the continued supply of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland remains a priority for His Majesty’s Government. On 19 May, the UK and the EU committed to negotiating an SPS Agreement, and while we do not expect this to cover veterinary medicinal products, the Government remains committed to protecting animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland by safeguarding supply. Officials continue to engage regularly with the EU, and the Government will be setting out its approach on this in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Portugal about allowing UK passport holders to use e-gates at Portuguese airports.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System.

But the Prime Minister has been clear that we believe European countries should go further and faster now.

We are therefore working with individual Member States at pace to make that transition happen as soon as possible. This includes discussions with Portugal.