Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of providing electricity to power the Limerick-based Aughinish Alumina plant as a result of the Single Electricity Market on (a) Russia's war against Ukraine and (b) the UK's (i) foreign, defence and security policy in relation to Russia and Ukraine and (ii) defence standing in the wider international community; and what discussions he has had with the Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, the European Union and the United States on that matter.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland, with the Northern Ireland Executive responsible for its own policy decisions.
We trade electricity between Great Britain and the Single Electricity Market on the Island of Ireland over interconnectors. Interconnector flows are driven by relative market prices, with trades occurring anonymously at the market level, not specific to an energy user such as the Aughinish Alumina plant. The Government has therefore not assessed flows to individual sites.
Interconnectors support our energy security by providing access to a more diverse pool of generation and enhancing our security of supply.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the amount of electricity generated in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK that could be used to power the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick under the Single Electricity Market; and what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of such a transfer of electricity on the UK's (a) foreign, defence and security policy in relation to Russia and Ukraine and (b) standing in the wider international community.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland, with the Northern Ireland Executive responsible for its own policy decisions.
We trade electricity between Great Britain and the Single Electricity Market on the Island of Ireland over interconnectors. Interconnector flows are driven by relative market prices, with trades occurring anonymously at the market level, not specific to an energy user such as the Aughinish Alumina plant. The Government has therefore not assessed flows to individual sites.
Interconnectors support our energy security by providing access to a more diverse pool of generation and enhancing our security of supply.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether in order to have effect in relation to movements of parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, of 11 February 2026, will require the UK to make any legislative changes.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is aware of the EU's plans to remove its relief for low value imports from 1 July 2026. There are no UK legislative changes required.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the full practical application of the Steel Industry Nationalisation Bill to Northern Ireland, in the context of Article 10 of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government regularly engages with the EU on a range of issues, including the Windsor Framework, however the details of our engagement with the European Commission are treated as confidential.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency measures are in place to ensure (a) commercial flights and (b) people’s holidays are not cancelled this summer due to a shortage of jet fuel.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working closely with industry and regulators to ensure the resilience of jet fuel supply and the continuity of commercial aviation operations.
UK airlines have made clear that they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel. Flights are running, holidays are going ahead as planned, and cancellations are no higher than would normally be expected at this time of year. We continue to monitor flight schedules closely and have not seen any significant changes to planned operations.
We are engaging with industry partners to monitor supply and demand, and to develop contingency options should disruption arise. As part of this, the Government has legislated to provide airlines with greater flexibility over their schedules, allowing any necessary changes to be made in a more orderly way and giving passengers advance notice.
Airlines are responsible for managing their operations, including decisions on scheduling. Where cancellations do occur and UK law applies, passengers are protected by Regulation (EC) 261/2004 which entitles them to a full refund or to be re-routed to their destination.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department provides to the Royal Veterinary College; and whether her Department has oversight of the RVC’s funding of the Centre for Environmental Justice.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government provides funding to higher education (HE) providers in England on an annual basis through the Strategic Priorities Grant. This funding supports the teaching of expensive-to-deliver subjects such as science and engineering, access and participation of students from under-represented groups, and for world-leading specialist providers such as the Royal Veterinary College.
Through this funding, the Royal Veterinary College has been allocated £12.5 million for the current academic year, 2025/26. Providers are independent and autonomous from government and are responsible for determining how best to use their funding to support teaching and students. Oversight of HE providers in England is the responsibility of the Office for Students.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) Shipova case as decided in the European Court of Justice and (b) Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers on gender recognition in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK Government is firmly committed to upholding the legal protections established by the Equality Act 2010, including those which protect people against unfair treatment based on the characteristics of sex and gender reassignment.
We have always been clear that the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling brought clarity to the definition of ‘sex’ for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.
Equal opportunities and anti-discrimination laws remain devolved matters in Northern Ireland, and the extent of the Equality Act 2010 as set out in law remains unchanged. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has a clear statutory duty, under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to offer guidance on the meaning and interpretation of equality law within Northern Ireland, including any implications arising from the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in the Shipova case.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) 2012 ban on conventional cages on the finances of producers with enriched colony cage systems and (b) five year transition period on competition between UK and EU producers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has carried out an assessment of the proposal to ban the keeping of laying hens, pullets in enriched colony cages and, as part of the consultation on laying hen cage reform, is seeking views on that assessment. The consultation also seeks additional evidence on how the proposals will affect egg production costs and current levels of imports and exports.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses were referred to HMRC because they had outstanding supplementary declarations and or post-movement Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) or their account, during: i) June 2025, ii) July 2025, iii) August 2025, iv) September 2025, v) October 2025, vi) November 2025, vii) December 2025, viii) January 2026 and ix) February 2026.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not routinely share compliance data where its disclosure may undermine current or future enforcement action.
HMRC takes a risk and intelligence-based approach to enforcement of trade obligations relating to the movement of goods.
Since the introduction of the arrangements concerning goods movements into and out of Northern Ireland, HMRC has worked closely with the Trader Support Service (TSS) to ensure that traders understand their obligations, are offered support to meet them, and that proportionate steps are taken to enforce their compliance.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the British Council’s Study USA programme in Northern Ireland on career progression, global skills and economic mobility for university students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds; and what steps he is taking to ensure support for students not otherwise able to access international study opportunities.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The British Council Study USA initiative is a great programme that has benefited the career development of many students in Northern Ireland over its 30 years. Skills and further/higher education is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy and we will continue to work closely with them to ensure the appropriate support for lower-income students wishing to study abroad is in place.