Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's correspondence to the Permanent Secretary at Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, dated 28 December 2022, what estimate she has made of the projected cost of building proposed sanitary and phytosanitary facilities as outlined in that correspondence.

My Department will prepare a business case for the construction of SPS inspection facilities in Northern Ireland in due course. This will draw on the business case previously prepared by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). When prepared, I will provide an update to the House.

The latest information available to as costs borne by DAERA are set out in my answer to the Rt Hon member for Lagan Valley of 28 November to PQ 92116.