Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reason his Department has not engaged with Border Communities against Brexit.
Answered by Robin Walker
Both the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have had and will continue to have regular engagement with a range of individuals, businesses and groups in civic society across Northern Ireland, including those in border regions, to discuss the impact and opportunities of the UK’s exit from the European Union. We have engaged recently with a number of civic society representatives, which includes representatives from rural and border community organisations, to discuss their views and concerns around the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will respond to requests from the Road Haulage Association for a meeting to discuss the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland last met representatives of the Road Haulage Association on 22 January at a roundtable discussion convened by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Its representatives have also attended the Protocol sub-group of the Brexit Business Taskforce, which is co-chaired by officials in the Northern Ireland Office and the Cabinet Office.
The Secretary of State will continue to engage closely with businesses and representative organisations in Northern Ireland, and will consider any further requests for a meeting that the Road Haulage Association make.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 2 February (HL12298), whether they will now (1) answer the question put, namely whether they have made any assessment of the possible competitive disadvantages to (a) England, (b) Wales, and (c) Scotland, of not being in the EU Single Market; and if so, what was the result of any such assessment, and (2) over whom Northern Ireland has a "competitive advantage" by being in the EU Single Market for goods.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The UK has left the EU Single Market and Customs Union with a deal that means the UK can now regulate in a way that suits the UK economy and UK businesses – doing things in a more innovative and effective way, without being bound by EU rules.
The Northern Ireland Protocol protects the territorial integrity of the UK by safeguarding Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s customs territory and internal market, ensuring unfettered access to Great Britain for Northern Ireland businesses, while also facilitating the free flow of goods between Northern Ireland and the EU.
The questions of the advantages of relationships with the EU single market and customs union have been extensively debated over the last four years. I note that the Liberal Democrats campaigned to reverse Brexit in the last General Election, but the people of the United Kingdom voted to Get Brexit Done, endorsing the Conservative commitment to leave the Single Market and Customs Union.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reason the changes to trading arrangements in Northern Ireland do not feature as part of the Brexit preparations advertisements running on television and radio.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government’s priority has always been to ensure that businesses understand the new trading arrangements introduced across the UK this year.
The Government has run an extensive UK-wide public information campaign aimed at the UK business community, which has directed business owners to the Brexit checker tool and the latest advice on GOV.UK. This included specific Northern Ireland-related guidance.
We also ran bespoke advertisements in Northern Ireland since August 2020 to highlight that some trading rules were changing, including those governing the movement of goods. This information was targeted at the broadest possible audience by using a blend of TV, video on demand, radio, print and digital channels.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on preparations for the end of the transition period.
Answered by Robin Walker
Northern Ireland Ministers and officials continue to engage regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive as we get on with delivering the Protocol and preparing for the end of the transition period.
The Devolved Administrations are critical partners and our engagement is intended to enhance understanding of approach and ensure appropriate planning.
In addition, the Northern Ireland Executive attends meetings of the Joint Committee and Specialised Committees on Protocol implementation and are represented at our meetings of the Business Engagement Forum.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what meetings he has held with human rights organisations based in Northern Ireland to discuss the UK's exit from the EU and the Northern Ireland protocol.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I, along with departmental officials continue to engage on the Protocol with stakeholders across Northern Ireland to ensure that it is implemented effectively. This includes engaging with human rights organisations on issues such as our commitment to ensure that no diminution of certain rights, safeguards or equality of opportunity protections results from the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Northern Ireland Office officials are in frequent contact with relevant organisations, the Secretary of State spoke with the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on 3 March 2020, and a number of further engagements are planned in the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the provisions of the Revised Protocol to the Withdrawal Agreement relating to EU regulations and goods manufactured in Northern Ireland will be incorporated into law in Northern Ireland; and who will bring forward this legislation.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Northern Ireland Protocol was implemented into domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020. This gives effect to certain aspects of EU law in Northern Ireland for as long as the Protocol alignment provisions remain in force, for the purposes of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The delivery and implementation of the Protocol’s provisions, including any further legislation that is required, is for the UK Government and, where appropriate, devolved Northern Ireland authorities. The UK Government will continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what progress has been made in the construction of the inspection facilities at the ports of (a) Warrenpoint, (b) Belfast, and (c) Larne, as part of the post-Brexit custom checks allied to the New Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland; and (2) who will pay for the (a) construction, and (b) operation of those facilities.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Applications were submitted to the European Commission at the end of June for sanitary and phytosanitary inspection facilities at the ports of Belfast, Warrenpoint, Larne and Foyle. These applications were submitted to ensure we meet our agreements under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
DAERA and Defra will continue to work together to develop plans for the construction of these facilities. The facilities will be operated by DAERA in conjunction with local authorities, the Food Standards Agency and the port operators. The Government has agreed in principle to fund the construction costs for these facilities. This funding is limited to costs associated with reaching the required level of compliance to implement the UK’s obligations in relation to the Protocol.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made to meet with the new Taoiseach and his ministerial team to discuss (1) Anglo-Irish relations; (2) the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) Brexit.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Ireland is a close friend and neighbour to the UK. As the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland tweeted over the weekend of 27/28 June, we welcome the formation of a new Irish Government and we look forward to continued close working with Ireland. The Prime Minister and the new Taoiseach spoke on Tuesday 30 June, and other UK Ministers have already been in contact with their counterparts on a range of issues including: the bilateral relationship and foreign policy, especially following Ireland's election to the UN Security Council; Northern Ireland; our joint response to and recovery from Covid-19; and our future relationship with the EU.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his response is to the call all for a six-month delay to checks in the Irish Sea in the document entitled: Implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol: What Business in Northern Ireland needs & why published by the NI Business Brexit Working Group.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK Government will continue to prepare to meet our obligations under the Northern Ireland Protocol, in line with the approach set out in the 20 May Command Paper, the UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol. In this paper, we committed to providing guidance to business, including our plans for extensive HMRC support for Northern Ireland businesses engaging in any new processes under the Protocol. We will publish that guidance this summer.
We will also continue to engage with business through the Business Engagement Forum, which met for the first time on 10 June and which will play an important part in our thinking as we implement the Protocol.