Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the Federation of Small Businesses Northern Ireland's report entitled Windsor Framework realities - barriers to trade in the UK internal market, published in June 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government stands by its view that the Windsor Framework is delivering practical benefits in Northern Ireland and we are committed to its implementation alongside protecting the UK internal market.
The Windsor Framework provides a wide range of support for business between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government will keep working with businesses and organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses as we move forward.
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the European Union, once agreed and implemented, will make it easier to move goods across the Irish Sea, so Northern Ireland can enjoy the same products as the rest of the UK.
Asked by: Lord Mancroft (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received regarding the potential increase in charitable funding in Northern Ireland should large British society lotteries extend their operations there.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and therefore the operation of large-scale society lotteries is a matter for the Northern Irish Executive.
Large-scale society lotteries in Great Britain are legislated through the Gambling Act 2005, which does not extend to Northern Ireland. The National Lottery operates under separate legislation and is able to sell tickets in Northern Ireland and distribute good cause money there.
Asked by: Lord Mancroft (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the basis for the National Lottery and large-scale prize draws operating in Northern Ireland while British society lotteries are unable to do so.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and therefore the operation of large-scale society lotteries is a matter for the Northern Irish Executive.
Large-scale society lotteries in Great Britain are legislated through the Gambling Act 2005, which does not extend to Northern Ireland. The National Lottery operates under separate legislation and is able to sell tickets in Northern Ireland and distribute good cause money there.
Asked by: Lord Mancroft (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to permit the operation of large Great Britain-based society lotteries in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and therefore the operation of large-scale society lotteries is a matter for the Northern Irish Executive.
Large-scale society lotteries in Great Britain are legislated through the Gambling Act 2005, which does not extend to Northern Ireland. The National Lottery operates under separate legislation and is able to sell tickets in Northern Ireland and distribute good cause money there.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any physical checks are required on medical products or medical devices moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and, if so, which legislation requires them.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Internal market movements of medical devices and products follow the same rules as other goods and can avail the support provided by the United Kingdom’s Government to move goods into Northern Ireland free of unnecessary paperwork, checks, and duties.
Regarding specific regulations for medical devices or medicines, no regulatory declarations are required for the movement of medicines or medical devices from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Medical devices across the whole of the UK are highly regulated, and devices placed in the Northern Irish market must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity in line with the EU Medical Device Regulations (2017/745) and EU In Vitro Device Regulations (2017/746), which apply under the Windsor Framework, in order to ensure dual market access to the UK’s internal market and the European Union's single market. Regulations in Great Britain are broadly similar to those applying in the Northern Ireland, including the conformity assessment process.
No physical checks are required for medicines or medical devices moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what declarations are required for the movement of medical products, including medical devices, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and which legislation requires them.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Internal market movements of medical devices and products follow the same rules as other goods and can avail the support provided by the United Kingdom’s Government to move goods into Northern Ireland free of unnecessary paperwork, checks, and duties.
Regarding specific regulations for medical devices or medicines, no regulatory declarations are required for the movement of medicines or medical devices from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Medical devices across the whole of the UK are highly regulated, and devices placed in the Northern Irish market must be accompanied by a declaration of conformity in line with the EU Medical Device Regulations (2017/745) and EU In Vitro Device Regulations (2017/746), which apply under the Windsor Framework, in order to ensure dual market access to the UK’s internal market and the European Union's single market. Regulations in Great Britain are broadly similar to those applying in the Northern Ireland, including the conformity assessment process.
No physical checks are required for medicines or medical devices moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to reduce trade barriers between Northern Ireland and (a) Bromsgrove and (b) other parts of Great Britain.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith, to taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market, and to taking forward Safeguarding the Union. The Windsor Framework ensures Northern Ireland’s businesses have unfettered access to their most important market in Great Britain, including Bromsgrove, and the UK internal market system is helping to smooth the flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
We are also seeking a veterinary/SPS agreement with the EU, which would further remove barriers to the movement of animal, food and plant products across the Irish Sea.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) tuition fee, (b) financial and (c) other support to students from Northern Ireland studying at universities in Great Britain.
Answered by Janet Daby
The Northern Ireland Executive has devolved responsibility for higher education in Northern Ireland and determines the student finance arrangements for Northern Irish students, including those students studying in England, Scotland and Wales.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to address additional (a) costs and (b) administration faced by small businesses in Northern Ireland as a result of the Irish Sea border; and whether he plans to support local businesses to access supplies from the rest of the UK.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the Government will ensure the interests of small businesses are embedded into our Industrial and Trade Strategies, as part of a comprehensive approach to delivering on our economic growth mission. The Windsor Framework established a broad set of arrangements to support Great Britain-based businesses to move goods to Northern Ireland, including to small businesses based in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme reduces checks and administrative burdens on retail agrifood movements. The Northern Ireland Plant Health Label scheme removes unnecessary costs and enables previously prohibited goods to enter Northern Ireland. The first stage of the UK internal market scheme was implemented in 2023, and ensures thousands of businesses can move goods without being subject to customs duties. The Government works closely with industry stakeholders and trade associations on the implementation of these arrangements and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to establish pathways for veterans in Northern Ireland to access healthcare services in Great Britain where suitable care is unavailable locally.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Government is committed to ensuring that veterans are able to access appropriate support wherever they live in the UK and is working to coordinate and cohere the range of support available, including in Northern Ireland, more effectively.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome David Johnstone to his new role as Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner. David will play a crucial role in supporting veterans across Northern Ireland. I look forward to working with him, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, other Government Departments and across society to ensure veterans and their families in Northern Ireland receive the best possible support.
The Armed Forces Covenant continues to be a key Government priority, with a commitment to fully implement the Covenant in law. The Armed Forces Covenant ensures that the Armed Forces community is treated fairly across the UK, although its delivery is shaped by local and regional factors and jurisdictions. We are making good progress in delivering the Covenant in Northern Ireland, where unique circumstances require a different approach to be taken, and the new Duty will apply in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Extensive engagement has taken place on the new Covenant duty with a range of stakeholders, including the Devolved Governments, with whom the UK Government will continue to work proactively on tailored approaches.
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), a charity and Non-Departmental Public Body of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), supports the Thrive Together programme. In Northern Ireland, this is led by the charity Brooke House and brings together a range of local service providers to establish sustainable and resilient networks that ensure veterans and their families receive prompt, effective and tailored support in Northern Ireland. The initiative builds on the first iteration of the AFCFT’s Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People programme and the ongoing work of the 11 Veterans’ Champions in councils across Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister recently announced an additional £3.5 million funding to continue the UK-wide Reducing Veteran Homelessness (RVH) Programme, which includes Op FORTITUDE, a Government-backed centralised referral pathway designed to support veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In March 2024, Beyond the Battlefield were awarded £100,000 by the RVH programme to provide services for veterans in Northern Ireland who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
A range of cross-Government employment support is also available to veterans and their families after their time in service. This includes the Ministry of Defence (MOD)-hosted Career Transition Partnership, which is the initial point of resettlement provision for veterans leaving military service, with directly provided support usually available for two years before and two years after leaving service. In addition, a government-backed veterans’ sector-based employment scheme supports veterans to access employment opportunities across the UK, including enabling access to qualifications and training, to veterans and their families at any stage in their lives after leaving service.
The Office for Veterans Affairs’ (OVA) in the MOD has recently established a presence in Northern Ireland to support strategic coordination of organisations, programmes and initiatives for veterans’ wellbeing. The OVA works closely and routinely with the Northern Ireland Office, the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland (VWS NI) and the Office of the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner to ensure alignment of effort where possible and as appropriate.
The Veterans’ Support Office (VSO) played a role in coordinating and signposting to statutory and charity provision. It closed in June 2024 as the way support for veterans is provided in Northern Ireland continues to evolve. Veteran support services have continued, including those grant-funded posts and projects previously facilitated by the VSO.
MOD representatives from the OVA and VWS NI additionally co-chair the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Committee, a voluntary coalition of organisations that specialise in delivering support services to veterans and their families in Northern Ireland, and the quarterly NI Veterans’ Champion Committee. There are now Veterans’ Champions in all eleven local authorities. Both committees help further situational awareness, facilitate better coordination of effort, and provide an effective pool of subject matter expertise to drive continuous improvement in service delivery for veterans in Northern Ireland.
VWS NI is a trusted statutory provider of specialist and holistic support for service leavers, veterans, their families and the bereaved in Northern Ireland. Following the merger in April 2023 of the UDR and R IRISH Home Service Aftercare Service with Defence Business Services, VWS NI successfully retained the unique medical services it offers eligible veterans in Northern Ireland, whilst expanding the provision of guidance, information and support to all service personnel transitioning into civilian life, veterans, their families and the bereaved across Northern Ireland. This includes physiotherapy and psychological therapies for eligible veterans. VWS NI's Welfare Managers - many of whom previously worked in the Aftercare Service - work exceptionally hard to build a good rapport with clients, and this is demonstrated by the consistently positive feedback the service receives at every level.
In addition, the £500,000 Defence Medical Welfare Service pilot, which supports veterans’ health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland, provides timely assistance and guidance to veterans who require healthcare. This is achieved by linking veterans with local services to ensure they are receiving the help available; advising on physical health issues such as musculoskeletal problems, pain management and lifestyle; and providing help with anxiety, depression, PTSD and bereavement. The pilot works closely with VWS NI and is providing valuable insight to improve our understanding of veterans’ health needs locally.