Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the scope of costs recoverable under the Movement Assistance Scheme have been constrained by state aid provisions applicable to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Movement Assistance Scheme only supports trade in agri-food goods within the UK internal market; this is the main factor determining whether costs can be included in scope of the scheme. The scheme therefore avoids constraints arising from the state aid provisions in the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse has been of developing the Digital Assistance Scheme to support the movement of agri-food goods and live animals from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as of 21 November 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A total of £27.66m, as detailed in the table below, has been spent to date on development of the Digital Assistance Scheme.
Type of Spend | FY 2020-21 | FY 2021-22 | FY 2022-23* | Total |
DAS Programme and Staff Costs | 0.25 | 5.94 | 7.36 | 13.55 |
DAS Capital Costs | 3.20 | 7.79 | 3.12 | 14.11 |
Total | 3.45 | 13.73 | 10.48 | 27.66 |
*Spend to October 2022. A number of actuals remain outstanding.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether certification under the proposed Digital Assistance Scheme will include (a) customs and (b) sanitary and phytosanitary declarations.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently in the process of phased testing for the first stage of the delivery of the Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS). It will include sanitary and phytosanitary declarations. We expect the first phase of DAS involving Export Health Certificates for Products of Animal Origin to be delivered next year. Additional development phases of DAS are planned to include the movement of live animals, phytosanitary certifications and interfaces with customs systems in order to achieve a simplified process for generating documentation. The DAS is a Government-funded programme that aims to simplify the process for movement of goods to Northern Ireland or onward to the Republic of Ireland that require certification.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on developing the Digital Assistance Scheme to support the movement of agri-food goods and live animals from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in line with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently in the process of phased testing for the first stage of the delivery of the Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS). It will include sanitary and phytosanitary declarations. We expect the first phase of DAS involving Export Health Certificates for Products of Animal Origin to be delivered next year. Additional development phases of DAS are planned to include the movement of live animals, phytosanitary certifications and interfaces with customs systems in order to achieve a simplified process for generating documentation. The DAS is a Government-funded programme that aims to simplify the process for movement of goods to Northern Ireland or onward to the Republic of Ireland that require certification.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse was of developing points of entry for agri-food goods in Northern Ireland (a) between 1 January 2020 and 1 January 2021 and (b) between 1 January 2021 and 21 November 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
DAERA reported in August 2022 that a total of £15.3 million capital, £16.4 million resource and £1.7 million depreciation has been expended on the provision of the infrastructure, IT systems and personnel for the work necessary to carry out the required SPS checks at Northern Ireland's Points of Entry as a result of the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse has been of recruiting and training veterinarians to fulfil the requirements of the Northern Ireland Protocol since 1 January 2020.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
DAERA reported in August 2022 that a total of £15.3 million capital, £16.4 million resource and £1.7 million depreciation has been expended on the provision of the infrastructure, IT systems and personnel for the work necessary to carry out the required SPS checks at Northern Ireland's Points of Entry as a result of the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse has been of establishing and administering the Scheme for Temporary Agri-Food Movements to Northern Ireland (STAMNI) as of 21 November 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse has been of the establishment and operation of the Movement Assistance Scheme (a) between 1 January 2021 and 21 November 2022, (b) prior to 1 January 2021 and (c) in each six-month period between 1 January 2021 and 21 November 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Movement Assistance Scheme has cost £18.08m up to 30 September 2022. This comprises of £3.53m in the 2020/2021 Financial Year, £9.78m in 2021/2022 Financial Year and £4.77m in the 2022/2023 Financial Year. These are the most up to date figures currently available.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the number of cases of domestic abuse and coercion connected with the home use of early medical abortion pills since March 2020.
Answered by Caroline Johnson
The Department recognises safeguarding as an essential aspect of abortion care and officials are working with the Domestic Abuse Commissioners Office to understand issues related to domestic abuse and coercion and home-use of early medical abortion (EMA).
All abortion providers are required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard women and girls accessing abortion services who may be experiencing domestic abuse or coercion. Following Parliament’s decision to make provisions for at home early medical abortion to be made permanent from 30 August, the Department is ensuring that robust safeguarding systems and processes for home use of EMA are embedded in all abortion services.
Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Independent - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have required hospital treatment following the home use of early medical abortion pills since March 2020.
Answered by Caroline Johnson
The information requested is not collected centrally.