Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether cars moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for sale are subject to any compliance, documentary or other requirements as a result of the Windsor Framework, and, if so, when such requirements began to apply.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no checks for compliance when cars move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government which species of tree are currently prohibited from being moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for planting in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All information on high-risk plants, including the latest information on the plants’ dossiers and those where the bans have been lifted, can be found at the ‘Plant Portal’ on gov.uk. The Government continues to proactively engage with industry to understand where further action is needed and prepare and submit dossiers for scientific assessment.
Through the Windsor Framework, we have already lifted the ban on the most urgent eleven priority species, these being European beech, English oak, Sessile oak, Norway Maple, Japanese maple, Sycamore maple, Field Maple, Crab apple, Common apple, Hawthorn and two types of privet (wax leaf and delavey).
The ban on common hazel will be lifted soon, which will be followed by another seven species that industry has prioritised. We will continue to work with industry to identify further species as needed.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the effect of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill will be to disapply the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill will apply in full in Northern Ireland in the same way it does in the rest of the UK. This is set out on the face of the Bill, reflecting that immigration policy is a UK-wide matter.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights does not form part of domestic law anywhere in the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The published factsheet on this Bill has been updated to reflect the government position on the Bill in Northern Ireland: Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: factsheet - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial commitments they have made towards the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the procurement process for the redevelopment of Casement Park. Funding decisions are therefore for the Northern Ireland Executive to consider.
His Majesty’s Government is working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to make sure that EURO 2028 leaves a lasting legacy across the whole United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for asylum applications in Northern Ireland of the decision in the application for judicial review by Aman Angesom [2023] NIKB 102 of 18 October 2023.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This judgment found in favour of the SSHD in respect of our policy to disperse asylum seekers on section 95 support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, from Northern Ireland to Scotland. Where individuals in asylum accommodation are relocated, their asylum claims will continue to be processed in line with legislation and policies in place, irrespective of place of residence in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021) on 31 January, whether seed potatoes can now be moved by professional operators in Great Britain to consumers in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Windsor Framework’s Northern Ireland (NI) Plant Health Label scheme, previously banned seed potatoes are once again available to move to NI from other parts of the UK.
Noting the high health status of seed potatoes, they must move between professional operators, which include farmers, growers and gardeners. Once planted in NI, the new crop of seed potatoes can be sold with no restrictions. This reflects long standing arrangements for biosecurity within Great Britain (GB) and NI and the need to protect the high plant health status in NI.
As stated in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, we will engage with the farming and horticultural industry to resolve any remaining issues for the movement of plant products, including seed potatoes, between GB and NI.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which existing EU regulations and laws applying to Northern Ireland are within the scope of the Stormont Brake mechanism.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
With the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive back up and running, the powerful democratic safeguard of the Stormont Brake is now in operation. This gives MLAs a vital role in the decision on whether significant new goods rules impacting on everyday life in Northern Ireland should be applied. Its operation is set out in detail in the Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2024.
The operation of the Windsor Framework and the application of a limited subset of EU law in Northern Ireland are subject to a consent vote of the Northern Ireland Assembly, due to be held later this year.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Douglas-Miller on 6 February (HL1687), whether there are current negotiations with the EU on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to securing a long-term sustainable solution ahead of December 2025 that will properly support the flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on an enduring basis.
It remains our priority to find a solution that removes the barriers to supply of veterinary medicines into NI through technical talks with the EU.
The Government is very clear that in all scenarios it is imperative to safeguard the supply of veterinary medicines to NI, and if necessary we will deploy all available flexibilities in line with our legal obligations.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the continuing operation of EU excise and VAT law concerning goods in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The arrangements in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework guarantee Northern Ireland’s position within the UK’s VAT and excise area, while still maintaining frictionless arrangements for those businesses trading with the EU - granting Northern Ireland businesses the ability to benefit from new UK changes and ensuring that Northern Ireland households can benefit from the UK’s Brexit freedoms.
The freedoms secured under the Windsor Framework have already delivered benefits for NI people and businesses, including: the application of zero rates on the installation of energy-saving materials; the rollout of new alcohol duty reforms across the whole UK; and the UK-wide application of the changes agreed at Autumn Statement, such as the removal of VAT on period underwear.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are negotiating with the European Union on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom after 2025.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Windsor Framework agreement has safeguarded the supplies of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to the end of 2025. During this extension to the grace period there will be no changes to the existing requirements on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland and businesses should continue operating as they have done to date.
The Government’s position is clear, there needs to be a long-term and permanent solution which maintains the uninterrupted flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on which so many people and businesses rely. Industry engagement continues to be our core focus over recent months, where we are strengthening and collating further evidence on products at risk.
We remain clear with the EU that any future arrangements must take into account the overwhelming reliance of Northern Ireland on veterinary medicines from Great Britain.