Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on ensuring there will be no checks when goods move within the UK internal market system save those conducted by UK authorities.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As set out in the Command Paper, as we transition to the UK internal market system we are focused on ensuring the smooth flow of trade through a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tackling criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks. Those checks that are required in order to meet our international commitments will be carried out only by UK authorities or those authorised to act on their behalf.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on replacing the green lane with a UK internal market system.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is continuing, as set out in the Command Paper, to take steps to give effect to the internal market system. More than 9,000 businesses are registered for the existing UK Internal Market Scheme, which enables them to move goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without incurring duty. From 2025, the Scheme will enable businesses to move goods into Northern Ireland using a significantly reduced data set which draws on ordinary commercial information, assisted by the new Trader Goods Profile tool which provides relevant data based on descriptions of goods.
While we will provide in due course further information on the detailed timeline for the new arrangements coming into effect, businesses should be fully prepared for them by 31 March 2025.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on establishing a UK Internal Market Guarantee.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK Internal Market Guarantee will apply to the operation of the UK internal market system when it is given effect next year. As envisaged in the Command Paper, this will be overseen by the Independent Monitoring Panel, the appointments to which were confirmed on 19 September with preparatory work for its operation underway.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what recent progress his Department has made on removing prohibitions on shrubs and trees.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Since the publication of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, bans have been lifted on five species of plant including hazel, wild privet and linden. The Commission has published a further seven commodity risk assessments for other species, following the provision of scientific evidence by the UK Government on the basis of industry demand. We continue to work closely with the horticultural sector, including through the Horticulture Working Group, in order to maximise opportunities for trade in plants and plant products within the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on setting out how public authorities should have special regard to Northern Ireland's place in the UK's internal market.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Consistent with the commitments made in Safeguarding the Union, the Government published statutory guidance to public authorities on upholding their legal duties to have special regard to the UK internal market on 30 September.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on establishing a strengthened independent review of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework (Constitutional Status of Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024 introduced new legal requirements on the conduct of an independent review of the Windsor Framework. The commissioning of an Independent Review is dependent on the outcome of the democratic consent vote process due to take place in the Northern Ireland Assembly later this year, and the Government will follow the legal duties that apply in full.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on ensuring continued supply of necessary veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland beyond 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government’s priority is to secure the long-term sustainable supply of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland and we are continuing to progress urgent work on this. We have re-established the Veterinary Medicines Working Group to advise the Government, and this met on 11 September 2024 and will meet again on 5 November 2024.
A grace period arrangement is in place until the end of 2025 which supports the continuity of supply to Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on establishing ministerial structures to (a) monitor and (b) manage issues arising from the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Matters related to European affairs may be considered by Government Ministers at the Europe Cabinet Committee. These arrangements are complemented by interdepartmental structures to manage the implementation of the Windsor Framework and any issues arising therefrom, reflecting the commitments made in Safeguarding The Union.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October to Question 7835 on Terrorism: Northern Ireland, if he will publish details of all requests for public inquiries that he has considered.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I do not intend to publish details of the requests I receive for public inquiries. I have written to those whose requests I have recently considered.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2024 to Question 5643 on Terrorism: Northern Ireland, how many requests for public inquiries he is considering.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I have recently considered several requests for public inquiries and decided to ask all the families involved to get in touch with the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The Government will consider any further requests on a case-by-case basis.