Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the capacity of Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Assembly to update or replace EU Retained Law by December 2023.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
Departments will analyse their retained EU law carefully to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, as well as retained EU law that should be repealed, or amended.
The Government recognises the unique challenges Northern Ireland departments are facing in delivering plans for REUL reforms in the continued absence of a functioning Executive and Assembly. The Brexit Opportunities Unit which works closely with Northern Ireland Office, has established regular intergovernmental meetings intended to support devolved counterparts with identification of which REUL is devolved or reserved, as part of the REUL Reform Programme.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The impact of Brexit on human rights on the island of Ireland, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2022.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK has a proud record of complying with its international obligations, and of the promotion and defence of human rights across the world.
The Government is firmly committed to Article 2 of the Protocol which ensures no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity protections set out in the relevant chapter of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) people and (b) organisations from Northern Ireland she has had official discussions with on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The former Foreign Secretary and her ministerial colleagues regularly engaged with organisations from Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, including the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group, other business representatives and political leaders from all parties. This included direct engagement when she visited Belfast earlier in the year.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department (a) reviews EU developments and new regulations, (b) assesses the potential effect of UK divergence from those regulations on (i) UK industry, (ii) trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (iii) devolved administrations, (iv) level playing field provisions in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and EU adequacy and equivalence decisions and (v) levels of protection for the environment, labour and human health and (c) makes assessments as to which regulations the UK should align with and where there may be potential opportunities from divergence.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
This government is making the most of our new found freedom to reform, repeal and replace outdated retained EU law that does not serve the interests of the UK. We are creating a regulatory environment which will promote growth, innovation and prosperity, cutting at least £1 billion of red tape for businesses, while maintaining the high standards the British people rightly expect.
Cabinet Office is leading and coordinating the programme of work being undertaken by Secretaries of State across government, to identify and deliver the regulatory and economic opportunities that Brexit has provided. No staff within the Brexit Opportunities Unit in the Cabinet Office monitor how the EU chooses to diverge from the UK.
The Government monitors significant EU policy developments that are likely to affect UK interests, to ensure compliance with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and support business readiness as necessary. My officials and I undertake regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations on the opportunities arising from leaving the EU, using Common Frameworks and other existing intergovernmental structures.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide a list of those individual benefits set out in the Benefits of Brexit paper, published on 31 January, which do not apply to Northern Ireland because of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the process for taking the views of Northern Ireland (1) Ministers, and (2) stakeholders, into account during the review of the status and substance of retained EU law.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government has now delivered the review into the status and substance of retained EU law and is using the outcome of both reviews to inform the content of the ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’.
We remain committed to engaging with devolved governments using Common Frameworks and other existing intergovernmental structures.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential divergence in laws and policies between Great Britain and Northern Ireland resulting from the review of EU retained law.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government has now delivered the review into the status and substance of retained EU law and is using the outcome of both reviews to inform the content of the ‘Brexit Freedoms Bill’.
We remain committed to engaging with devolved governments using Common Frameworks and other existing intergovernmental structures.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the plan deliver at least one freeport in each of (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, and (3) Northern Ireland, as set out in The Benefits of Brexit: How the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU, published on 31 January.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
On 25 March 2022 the UK Government and the Scottish Government jointly published the bidding prospectus for two Green Freeports in Scotland, inviting applicants to bid for Green Freeport Status. The bidding period will close on 20 June 2022. We aim to announce winning bids in late summer 2022.
The Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up has discussed establishing a Freeport in Wales with counterparts in the Welsh Government. Good progress is being made towards an agreement that would see a Freeport delivered in Wales as part of a shared endeavour between the UK Government and the Welsh Government.
The UK Government is committed to extending the Freeports programme to Northern Ireland as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their paper The Benefits of Brexit: How the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU, published on 31 January, which of the benefits identified will not apply to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The ‘Benefits of Brexit’ paper, published on 31 January, illustrates how the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU and sets out how the Government will use new freedoms in each sector to make the UK become the best regulated economy in the world. We recognise that Northern Ireland is not able to enjoy all of the benefits of Brexit at quite the same time as the rest of the UK because of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which is why we are seeking changes to it.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations were carried out with Northern Ireland (1) Ministers, and (2) stakeholders, prior to the publication of The Benefits of Brexit: How the UK is taking advantage of leaving the EU, published on 31 January.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
My officials undertake regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations, including on the Brexit Freedoms Bill and the reviews of retained EU law, and will continue to do so. They last met representatives from the Scottish Government, along with the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive on 30 March.