Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

We continue to closely monitor the impact on Northern Ireland of any tariffs. This government will always act in the best interests of all UK businesses which of course includes those in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom customs territory and internal market. Northern Ireland exporters will face 10% US tariffs like exporters elsewhere in the UK.

We intend to apply UK CBAM across the UK including in NI. The EU's CBAM could only apply in Northern Ireland with the agreement of the UK and in line with the democratic safeguards of the Windsor Framework. The UK will continue to work with international partners, including the EU, to ensure our approach is implemented in a way that works for businesses.

In 2021, the National Audit Office published a report on evaluating government spending. The report highlighted several challenges regarding the Civil Service’s capacity to evaluate government policies, including a skills gap in evaluation.

It is the responsibility of individual government departments and professions to ensure that they have the capacity and capability to evaluate their policies and programmes, and to address any capability gaps they may have.

To support departments, the Cabinet Office is taking steps to improve the skills of analysts and policy officials across the Civil Service. For example, the Evaluation Task Force has created the Evaluation Academy to address a cross-government skills gap and build evaluation capacity in the analytical profession. The Evaluation Academy comprises 10 modules including process, impact and value-for-money evaluation that are aligned to the Magenta Book, the government’s guidance on evaluation. The Academy has been run for two consecutive years and has already led to more than 2,000 civil servants receiving training on evaluation topics and methods. The Evaluation Task Force has also provided advice on evaluation methods for 382 government programmes worth a total value of £202 billion.

Additionally, the Government Skills Campus project is building and rolling out a new Civil Service wide digital platform which will log the skills of all civil servants, including evaluation skills. This will create a Civil Service-wide skills dataset allowing for even more data-driven workforce planning and targeted action on capability gaps. Roll out begins in 2025.

In 2021, the National Audit Office published a report on evaluating government spending. The report highlighted several challenges regarding the Civil Service’s capacity to evaluate government policies, including a skills gap in evaluation.

It is the responsibility of individual government departments and professions to ensure that they have the capacity and capability to evaluate their policies and programmes, and to address any capability gaps they may have.

To support departments, the Cabinet Office is taking steps to improve the skills of analysts and policy officials across the Civil Service. For example, the Evaluation Task Force has created the Evaluation Academy to address a cross-government skills gap and build evaluation capacity in the analytical profession. The Evaluation Academy comprises 10 modules including process, impact and value-for-money evaluation that are aligned to the Magenta Book, the government’s guidance on evaluation. The Academy has been run for two consecutive years and has already led to more than 2,000 civil servants receiving training on evaluation topics and methods. The Evaluation Task Force has also provided advice on evaluation methods for 382 government programmes worth a total value of £202 billion.

Additionally, the Government Skills Campus project is building and rolling out a new Civil Service wide digital platform which will log the skills of all civil servants, including evaluation skills. This will create a Civil Service-wide skills dataset allowing for even more data-driven workforce planning and targeted action on capability gaps. Roll out begins in 2025.

This Government is committed to the faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework and stakeholder engagement is an important aspect of this. When agreeing the Windsor Framework both the UK and EU made commitments to implement enhanced engagement mechanisms, allowing stakeholders the routes to share their views on the implementation of the Framework.

Since the Political Declaration was published on 27 February 2023 the government has continuously engaged with relevant stakeholders to discuss the Windsor Framework and to ensure businesses are able to realise its benefits. We established the Joint Consultative Working Group (JCWG) sub-groups and the UK-EU joint engagement programme which meet regularly, with the most recent engagements taking place in October. This was referenced in the last UK-EU Joint Statement, following the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework on 22 October.

Outside of these joint UK-EU engagements the UK government regularly engages with people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The Minister for the Cabinet Office has met with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the Windsor Framework. He also recently attended a roundtable at Queen’s University Belfast with businesses and civic society representatives to discuss Windsor Framework implementation. Likewise, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly engages with NI stakeholders and hosted a roundtable in Belfast for the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group to discuss the Windsor Framework on October 31.

UK government departments continuously engage with stakeholders to discuss the technical aspects of the Windsor Framework arrangements and this government is committed to continuing this engagement further.

The Export Support Service continues to inform UK businesses of upcoming EU regulations and their impact to their trading activities through a range of channels. This includes the "Unlock Europe" webinar series hosted by the Export Academy, which will have a session on CBAM on 23 April. We are tracking forthcoming EU regulations which will impact UK exporters and are in dialogue with business representative organisations to understand how we can best support businesses to understand and prepare for changes which may impact them.

Since the General Election, the Cabinet Office, with the support of the Department for Business & Trade, has written to departments to remind them of their responsibility to consider in their legislative plans the general requirement to make regulatory impact assessments available when bringing forward relevant legislation to Parliament. The Department for Business & Trade provides training and advice to officials across government to support their departments’ compliance with this and the wider requirements of the Guide to Making Legislation and Better Regulation Framework Guidance. The government supports the Regulatory Policy Committee in holding departments to account for their compliance with the framework; this includes publishing statements of lateness when regulatory provisions reach Parliament without a regulatory impact assessment or opinion from the committee where they require one.

The Government understands that the availability of flexible working can be important for those who are pregnant and in work. It can be equally as important for a number of other groups, including new parents, those with other caring responsibilities and those managing a disability or long term health condition. That is why, through the Employment Rights Bill, the Government is making flexible working the default for all employees, except where not reasonably feasible.

The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to Bereavement Leave for employees to take protected time off to grieve. We will consult stakeholders on aspects of the design.

The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 enabled a ‘day one’ paternity leave entitlement for employees who become the primary carer for their newborn after the death of their partner. Regulations will then provide them with leave for up to one year after the child’s birth or adoption placement. This entitlement will have minimal impact on business and no impact on the Exchequer.

Acas maintain guidance for employers on bereavement including miscarriage.

The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to Bereavement Leave for employees to take protected time off to grieve. We will consult stakeholders on aspects of the design.

The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 enabled a ‘day one’ paternity leave entitlement for employees who become the primary carer for their newborn after the death of their partner. Regulations will then provide them with leave for up to one year after the child’s birth or adoption placement. This entitlement will have minimal impact on business and no impact on the Exchequer.

Acas maintain guidance for employers on bereavement including miscarriage.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. In February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount which would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme and supporting a total of 6 million households. The consultation has now closed and the Department is evaluating the responses.

The Government is committed to ensuring that energy bills for non-domestic customers are affordable.

Legacy renewable policy costs, such as the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) schemes, are now closed to new applicants but have brought forward the successful renewable electricity sector that we see today in the UK. This, in turn, is supporting our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 so we can reduce our reliance on international gas markets.

By driving investment in renewables, they have significantly lowered the cost of renewable electricity production over time, leading to a more affordable and sustainable energy future.

Ministers in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have regular meetings with Energy UK on a range of important issues, including the cost of energy bills.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The Government has committed to improving the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, and tackle unnecessary barriers to trade. Under the terms of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK Government and EU agreed to cooperate on carbon pricing and give serious consideration to linking respective emissions trading schemes (ETSs). Ahead of the UK-EU Summit on the 19th May, the UK Government is actively considering the case for linking ETSs. This does not prejudge the outcome of any potential discussions with the EU on ETS linking.

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation ahead of the CBAM entering its definitive period.

The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved.

The Government published the final report of the Independent Pornography Review on 27 February. The Review found violent pornography is common and easily available online. It is right that the government takes time to understand this complex, deeply important topic. A further update will be provided in due course.

The Online Safety Act requires services publishing or hosting user-generated pornographic content to prevent children from accessing it using highly effective age assurance. Extreme pornography is a priority offence under the Act, requiring services to proactively mitigate and remove this illegal content on their platforms.

According to the Essential Digital Skills Framework, media literacy-related skills, including understanding online risks, are essential for work. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with FutureDotNow to analyse the benefits of essential digital skills for earnings and employability, with findings being published shortly.

The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is also considering how young people will acquire the digital skills needed for future life, with the interim report highlighting the need for a renewed focus on media literacy.

The Independent Pornography Review is a wide-ranging and thorough piece of work which assessed the effectiveness of pornography legislation, regulation, and enforcement. The Review’s final report was published on the 27^th of February 2025.

This is an important yet deeply complex topic. The findings of the Review continue to be assessed by the Government.

The Independent Pornography Review assessed the effectiveness of current pornography legislation, regulation and enforcement. The Review has now concluded, and the report was published on Thursday 27 of February 2025. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creating-a-safer-world-the-challenge-of-regulating-online-pornography.

The government engages regularly with social media and search services and is clear that they should be taking action now to make their services safe for users.

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope services must prevent all users from encountering illegal suicide and self-harm content, and children from legal content which encourages, promotes or provides instructions for suicide and self-harm.

The government are committed to continuing to engage with those with lived experience and keeping online safety policy under review and will take whatever steps are needed to protect the public.

I refer my noble Friend to the answer of 01 May 2025 to Question 47185.

​​​​High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

​We know that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. There are a number of strong links with attainment. For example, the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure with other positive effects, such as expanding pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.

​Furthermore, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, or a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious.

​In recognition of this, the department has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure. The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure with a further £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year to support this work. Furthermore, the government’s reading framework provides guidance on improving the teaching of reading, to ensure that every child is not only able to read proficiently, but also develops a genuine love of reading.

​The current national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.

​The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. As well as the strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, there are a number of other positive effects, including improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge, and character development.

It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians. ​​

​The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. As well as the strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, there are a number of other positive effects, including improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge, and character development.

It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians. ​​

​The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond the 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

The Border Target Operating Model was introduced in 2024 to safeguard biosecurity, minimise risks to public health, animal health, the environment and protect the United Kingdom’s reputation as a responsible international trading nation. It strikes an appropriate balance between supporting business, by avoiding unnecessary regulatory burdens in the process of moving goods into Great Britain, while focussing controls on consignments proven to cause the most significant biosecurity risk.

Defra continues to monitor the effectiveness and impact of the controls and engages regularly with border stakeholders to reflect.

The model was developed following extensive engagement with businesses (including the logistics sector) across the UK, points of entry, enforcement agencies and with the Scottish and Welsh Devolved Governments.

Defra continues to have regular engagement with border stakeholders to discuss and review the BTOM.

HMRC provides drivers with the Inspection Location Service (ILS), which allows drivers access to identify whether their consignments have been selected for an inspection. The portal is linked to the Goods Movement Vehicle Service (GMVS) whereby a driver can enter their Goods Movement Reference (GMR) and they will be shown the inspection status for their consignment. If the driver does not use GMVS, Imports of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) will provide an initial risk assessment telling the importer/agent if their consignment needs SPS checks when they submit their import notification. If the consignment does need checks, the importer/agent and haulier will also receive a text and email message 2 hours before the drivers estimated time of arrival in GB. The message will conform what the driver needs to do. Additionally, the notifier can check their IPAFFS dashboard for updates on whether their consignment will be checked.

GB plant health services have increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and deliver checks in line with the set Service Level Agreement (SLA) and ensure minimal trade disruption. BCPs are designed to handle high volumes of imported SPS goods with inspectors working shifts to carry out reliable checks which minimise friction on traffic flow. Checks at BCPs are handled by trained staff ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently. The Government will provide an update in Summer 2025 on the implementation timelines for further controls on EU goods arriving in GB from Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The Government will provide an update in Summer 2025 on the implementation timelines for further controls on EU goods arriving in GB from Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Importers should continue to follow the guidance available on GOV.UK for the latest information.