Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021) on 31 January, when they intend to introduce legislation to fulfil the commitment in that paper to repeal all statutory duties relating to the 'all-island economy'.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I would refer the Noble Baroness to the answer I gave to Lord Dodds of Duncairn in response to WPQ UIN HL2621 on 23 February 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when all (1) checks, and (2) paperwork, will cease to be required for goods moving via the UK Internal Market Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, the internal market system will ensure the smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland for internal UK trade. In line with the Government’s commitments since 2021, these arrangements establish individual schemes that can be used only by UK internal market traders, to preserve those benefits for UK traders and to maintain the smooth flow of that trade. Checks on Internal UK movements under the schemes will be removed except those conducted by UK authorities and required as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the schemes, smuggling and disease risks. We will set out further information on the transition to these new arrangements shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a matter vetoed under the operation of the Stormont Brake and not subsequently agreed by the UK–EU Joint Committee may be brought to international arbitration; and whether the UK has committed to accepting such a decision as final.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is correct to note that the Stormont Brake safeguard is not subject to any ECJ oversight, and any dispute on this issue would be resolved through subsequent independent arbitration according to international, not EU, law.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their Command Paper Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January, what changes will be made to Articles 5–10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Command Paper ‘Safeguarding the Union’ builds on the progress under the Windsor Framework, strengthening the UK Internal Market and the Union into the long term. It remains the case that the decision as to whether Articles 5 to 10 of the Windsor Framework should continue to apply in Northern Ireland will be taken by the Northern Ireland Assembly later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that Northern Ireland operates under the same animal welfare standards as the rest of the UK during transport.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Animal welfare in transport is a devolved matter, and we will continue to work closely with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in this area.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many non-profitable organisations have been involved with the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland; and what is the total amount of funding that has been given to those organisations.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Northern Ireland Executive receives funding from DLUHC to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. The tariff is unringfenced and the Devolved Administrations have the flexibility to exercise discretion in using the funding, including payments to non-profitable organisations. Further information in this regard is a matter for the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have paid to the charity Barnardo's in Northern Ireland for helping to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme there.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Northern Ireland Executive receives funding from DLUHC to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. The tariff is unringfenced and the Devolved Administrations have the flexibility to exercise discretion in using the funding, including payments to non-profitable organisations. Further information in this regard is a matter for the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are employed in Northern Ireland in administration of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Northern Ireland Executive receives funding from DLUHC to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. The tariff is unringfenced and the Devolved Administrations have the flexibility to exercise discretion in using the funding, including payments to non-profitable organisations. Further information in this regard is a matter for the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the value of services sold by businesses in Northern Ireland to clients in the European Union in each of the past 10 years.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Baroness Hoey
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
30 January 2024
Dear Lady Hoey,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the value of services sold by businesses in Northern Ireland to clients in the European Union in each of the past 10 years (HL1788).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have published subnational trade in service statistics for 2016 to 2021 [1].
Table 1 provides details of the requested figures. The required source data is not available for pre-2016 so we are unable to provide estimates for the full 10-year period as requested. Please note that data are in current prices and, as such, include the effect of inflation.
Table 1 EU Exports of services from Northern Ireland to the EU, £ million
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
EU Services Exports from Northern Ireland | £2,742m | £2,767m | £5,274m | £1,779m | £1,469m | £1,555m |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to any proposals for Zimbabwe to be readmitted as a member of the Commonwealth.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The decision on whether Zimbabwe re-joins the Commonwealth is for all Commonwealth members. The UK will review all final election observation reports, as well as the Secretary-General's report on membership readiness, before making any further assessment of Zimbabwe's readiness for readmission to the Commonwealth.