Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the availability of the funding required for the 5.5% pay increase recommended by the Pay Review Body for health workers in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) is being funded above its independently assessed relative need level of 124% in 2024-25 and 2025-26, including the 2024 restoration financial package. As a result of decisions taken at the Autumn Budget and Phase 1 of the Spending Review, the Northern Ireland Executive is receiving £18.2 billion in 2025-26. This represents the largest real-terms settlement since devolution.
The NIE is responsible for deciding how to allocate their funding across their devolved responsibilities, including the provision of pay awards for health workers.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the addition of VAT to school fees is compliant with section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT is a reserved tax and the VAT changes will apply uniformly across the UK. Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is not engaged by this policy.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding for the Bushmills area as part of the Causeway Coast and Glens growth deal.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We are continuing to work closely with all Deal partners to understand the benefits of the City and Growth Deals programme, including the Causeway Coast and Glens Growth Deal.
Many of the City and Growth Deals have decades' worth of funding attached so it is right that we consider any remaining deals that haven't been signed yet in the round at the Spending Review, as we will have to do with many other long-term funding programmes.
We will provide certainty over the remaining Deals following phase 1 of the Spending Review which will conclude on 30 October.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she took to raise awareness of the opportunity to tender for the provision of what became the Trader Support Service.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
In July 2020, HMRC advertised the opportunity to tender for the current Trader Support Service (TSS) on the government tender notice portal, Tenders Electronic Daily (TED), which has now been replaced by Find a Tender. Prior to the tender being published, HMRC issued a Prior Information Notice (PIN) on TED to identify potential suppliers, and interested suppliers were invited to engagement sessions on the requirements.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make a comparative assessment of the economic impact of the new arrangements for parcels transported between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 30 September 2024 with the arrangements in place (a) between 1 January 2021 and 29 September 2024 and (b) before 1 January 2021.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The arrangements for sending parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework will represent a significant improvement on those set out in the Northern Ireland Protocol.
If fully implemented, the Northern Ireland Protocol would have required full customs declarations for all parcel movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Under the Windsor Framework, parcels sent to or from consumers will not be subject to customs declarations or duty, allowing them to move as smoothly as they currently do. Parcels sent between businesses will be treated in line with equivalent freight movements.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how export procedures are applied under Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 to goods placed under the export procedure within the Union in accordance with Title V and Title VIII of that Regulation as they move from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Windsor Framework removes the requirement for export procedures for goods moved from Northern Ireland to Great Britain that existed under the original Protocol, and replaces the 2020 agreement on the need for ‘equivalent information" with such controls only applying to a niche set of goods. Detailed guidance on the treatment of these goods where exceptions apply, including goods declared for export in an EU country, is available on gov.uk.Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which body is responsible for taking customs duties that are required on goods moved in the red lane from Great Britain to Northern Ireland on arrival in Northern Ireland.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC, as the UK’s customs authority, is responsible for collecting customs duties, where applicable, for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland that are ‘at risk’ of entering the EU.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what bids have been submitted by the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Finance for 2024-25 based on the operation of the (a) Windsor Framework and (b) Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024; and what available funding has been confirmed for implementation of the Windsor Framework arrangements for 2024-25.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As set out in the Statement of Funding Policy, the UK Government has committed to fund the direct costs associated with reaching the required level of compliance to implement its obligations under the Windsor Framework.
The provision under this commitment is set out in the Northern Ireland Office’s Main Estimates 2024-25 Memoranda.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) volume and (b) value was of (i) goods and (ii) other materials sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Data on goods moved into Northern Ireland from Great Britain can be obtained from the official statistics produced on the GOV.UK website.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published a Summary of movements of goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain covering 2023. Details for 2022 and 2021 are also available.
HMRC do not have details prior to 2021 as this information was not collected before EU-Exit .
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason goods imported to Northern Ireland from (a) China and (b) other non-EU countries are charged a higher third country duty tariff than goods imported from those countries to Great Britain.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Under the terms of the Windsor Framework, goods being brought into Northern Ireland from non-EU countries attract customs duty at the relevant EU rate if they are deemed ‘at risk’ of entering the EU. In some circumstances those duties can be waived or the difference between the EU and UK rate reimbursed. If the goods are not regarded as ‘at risk’ of entering the EU they will attract customs duty at UK rates.