Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the European Union's new General Product Safety Regulation.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The updated GPSR largely formalises how many businesses are already operating in the UK and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact. However, we understand that, for some businesses, changes will be required.
Government continues to support businesses in adapting to these changes to ensure a smooth flow of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. We have published guidance on GPSR in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review, and we are continuing to engage directly with businesses.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the independent review of the Windsor Framework will be established.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government will announce details of the Independent Review in due course, and in line with its obligations under Schedule 6A of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of households choosing not to buy a television licence.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The number of households choosing not to buy a TV licence has risen in recent years. As noted in the TV Licence Fee Trust Statement, 23.7 million licences were in force in 2023/24, which is a decline from the peak of 25.9 million in 2017/18. TV licence evasion rates have also risen over the past decade from around 5.5% in 2013/14 to 11.3% in 2023/24.
These trends pose challenges to the long term sustainability of the licence fee. The forthcoming Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. As we look at the future of the BBC, we must also ensure that it has a sustainable funding model that is fair for those who pay for it.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many outstanding pre-1998 legacy cases in the form of civil suits and re-opened inquests are in train at present; and what have been (1) the costs involved in settlements or damages paid in such cases in each of the past five complete years and (2) the legal costs, both incurred by the Northern Ireland Office and paid out to claimants' and victims' lawyers.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are over a thousand ongoing legacy civil claims against the Northern Ireland Office and other state agencies.
Damages paid by the Northern Ireland Office in such cases must remain confidential as per the terms of the settlements, and the Northern Ireland Office does not hold information on the settlement of legacy civil claims faced by other Government departments.
The Northern Ireland Office’s spend on legal costs is included within our Annual Report and Accounts, although we do not differentiate between legal costs we incur and costs we pay to claimants’ lawyers:
22/23
21/22
20/21
19/20
18/19
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their response to the Commonwealth Secretary-General's letter inviting heads of government of all Commonwealth member states to make known to her by 26 November their views on Zimbabwe’s request to re-join the Commonwealth.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has always been clear that we would like to see Zimbabwe return to the Commonwealth when the time is right. However, currently we do not share the Secretariat's assessment of Zimbabwe's progress or readiness in line with the shared values and principles laid out in the Commonwealth Charter. Whilst we recognise there has been progress, we believe further steps are needed on democracy, governance and human rights before Zimbabwe makes a formal application to re-join the Commonwealth. We note some of the findings in the Commonwealth Election Observation Report and support the recommendations. We would encourage a further Commonwealth assessment mission to Zimbabwe in 2025 to follow up on these areas. The UK strongly values our partnership with Zimbabwe and stands ready to support further reforms in this regard, through the Commonwealth and other fora.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to create designated-British-passports-only entry points at UK airports.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Whilst there are currently no plans to change queuing arrangements at the UK Border, those arrangements remain under constant review in order to prioritise security, maintain fluidity and ensure that we continue to run our border in the UK's best interests.
As the quickest and most efficient method of crossing the border, we encourage all eligible passengers to make use of the e-Gates at our ports of entry where possible.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with British Airways about the cost of their flights within the United Kingdom and when these discussions took place.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector with the cost of flights determined by airlines according to a range of factors. The Minister for Aviation and officials from the Department for Transport meet regularly with airlines to discuss a range of topics, including pricing.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any further assessment of the Provisional IRA’s Amy Council, including its influence on the political direction of Sinn Féin and its access to weapons, since they published their Assessment of Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland in October 2015.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The ‘Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland’ report was published in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland. This public assessment, which was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks, has not been repeated.
Although it is acknowledged that some individuals engaged in serious criminality may also have ties to former paramilitary Republican organisations, such activity does not present a threat to national security.
The PSNI and UK security agencies continually assess the threat, risk and harm posed by paramilitary, terrorist and organised crime groups to inform the most appropriate operational response. The threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism (NIRT) is assessed by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), after MI5 passed over responsibility earlier this year. JTAC keeps the Threat Level in Northern Ireland from NIRT under constant review and formally reviews it twice a year. However, the threat is wholly driven by violent Dissident Republicans who reject the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), and not by Groups that support the GFA.
Where any criminality exists, the Government is clear that it should be dealt with fully by the police.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 15 October (HL1391), what have been the costs to date of the Cory report, the inquiry headed by Sir Desmond de Silva into the death of Patrick Finucane, the Stevens Inquiries and the Robert Hamill Inquiry.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As mentioned in my previous Written Answer, the Government takes reasonable steps to control the costs of inquiries, including capping legal costs as appropriate.
The Government asked Judge Peter Cory to re-investigate the death of Patrick Finucane. This was not a public inquiry but led to public inquiries into the deaths of Rosemary Nelson, Billy Wright, Robert Hamill and Patrick Finucane.
The Robert Hamill Inquiry is yet to publish its Report and therefore its final costs are not yet available. The Government is in the process of setting up the Patrick Finucane Inquiry and has considered the likely costs and impact on the public finances. The Government’s expectation is that the inquiry will avoid unnecessary costs given the work done in all the previous reviews and investigations and the large amount of information and material that is already in the public domain.
Sir Desmond de Silva was appointed to conduct an independent review into the death of Patrick Finucane, but like Cory, this was not a public inquiry. Sir John Stevens’ investigation was commissioned and funded by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (now PSNI).
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation will affect travel from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Electronic Travel Authorisations are a new requirement for international travel to the UK. They do not affect domestic journeys, which means they do not affect travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.