Radio Equipment (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024

Lord Browne of Belmont Excerpts

Monday 11th November 2024 Grand Committee

[Lord Sandhurst (Con)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her helpful explanation. This is an important legislative instrument to regulate electronic devices in Northern Ireland. It implements the common charger directive, which in turn amends the existing radio equipment directive 2014/53/EU. The purpose now is to standardise the charging solutions for electronic devices, ensuring that they use a common USB-C charging solution. It aims to improve consumer convenience, reduce electronic waste and streamline the tech ecosystem across the EU and Northern Ireland.

At face value, the intention behind these changes should benefit consumers by simplifying charging and reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste, but the question remains: what will be the effect on UK businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, of complying with them? The Government assert that these changes will support innovation and enhance consumer choice. That will be good if it is the effect but the impact on businesses, particularly smaller ones, must be carefully considered. What will be the impact on production costs in particular, and thence on competition?

The Government have announced that they intend to include provisions in the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill to allow Ministers to amend the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 to a similar end. It is crucial that the findings of the Government’s call for evidence on radio equipment, which began at the beginning of October, are published before any further action is taken in this jurisdiction. The Government must ensure that any regulatory framework proposed is evidence-based.

In considering whether these common charger regulations should be rolled out further across the United Kingdom, it is essential first to assess the impact on businesses, particularly SMEs. Costs related to product redesign, new testing requirements and potential delays in getting products to market could harm competition. We must first be confident that the benefits of this charging standardisation outweigh any burdens placed on manufacturers in this country.

Furthermore, the regulations introduce stricter penalties for businesses that fail to comply with the new rules. These include possible imprisonment. The exact terms of these penalties have not yet been fully clarified. Given the scope of the changes and the potential for confusion about what constitutes full compliance, the Government must first ensure that the enforcement mechanisms are clear in order to ensure fairness.

[Lord Browne of Belmont (DUP)]

My Lords, this is yet another example of Northern Ireland being subject to EU laws under the Northern Ireland protocol and Windsor agreement so, first, I declare that I remain 100% opposed to the Windsor Framework and the protocol. I will ask the Minister a few questions but, before that, I should say that many chargers on the market are extremely dangerous. They are coming in from abroad and have been responsible for setting fire to many properties, so I believe that these chargers should be regulated.

Having said that, does this instrument apply to Great Britain? If it is so important in Northern Ireland, why has it not been rolled out across the rest of the United Kingdom? Also, who will be responsible for enforcement? Will the prosecutions apply to the manufacturer, the distributor or the retailer? Because the instrument will apply to just Northern Ireland, will these chargers have to be stamped with something like, “Suitable for use only in Northern Ireland”? This will add to the cost.

At present, British Telecom is installing new digital telephones in Northern Ireland, but these will not be able to contact the emergency services if there is a power cut. There is a battery, which will last for one hour; after that, they will not be able to contact the emergency services unless they are attached to a battery or a charger. Will this instrument also apply to chargers for these phones so that elderly people can contact the emergency services?

[Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (DUP)]

My Lords, further to what my noble friend Lord Browne mentioned, when the United Kingdom left the European Union we were told that we left as one. When the votes were counted and it was said that in Scotland and in Northern Ireland people were against leaving, we were told, “No—we left as one”. This is another example of how that statement is not true. How could we have left as one when the Explanatory Note says:

“The Windsor Framework requires that the European Union … legislation listed in its Annex 2 is implemented in Northern Ireland”?


Surely this is another example of how the Windsor Framework and the protocol differentiate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom. It is another example of regulations that are placed on Northern Ireland, over which Northern Ireland’s elected representatives or even this Parliament have no authority but a foreign jurisdiction, the EU, says it must be done.

Company Directors: Identification

Lord Browne of Belmont Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd May 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Johnson of Lainston (Con)]

I appreciate the noble Lord for pointing back to my previous answer about the 12,600 or so companies that have had their identities checked, expunged, changed or verified. That is clearly a significant starting number, which we expect will increase over the next year or so as Companies House deploys the £50-odd million that we gave it to introduce new systems to hire new people. That goes hand in hand with the 475 new economic crime prevention officers we have hired and the £400 million we have dedicated to fight economic crime between 2023 and 2026.

[Lord Browne of Belmont (DUP)]

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Mann, on his Question. I stand here today as a victim of identity theft. I was listed as a director of a bogus company back in 2021 and became aware of that only recently. I can tell the House that it was not an easy exercise to have my name removed from the Companies House register. Will the Minister outline to the House what assistance the Government provide to the many people who find themselves in a similar position? I declare that unfortunately I have no interest in the goldmines in Ukraine which are listed.

[Lord Johnson of Lainston (Con)]

I apologise to the noble Lord for the discovery that he does not have a significant interest in a goldmine. I am sure it will be something he would not want corrected on the register but I am pleased to say that now Companies House actually has the power to make common-sense changes, effective immediately. I assume that there is a process that requires some additional verification but Louise Smyth, the registrar, is particularly focused on this issue. It was something that was raised continually in the debates. For many people, the situation where they found themselves erroneously registered as directors or their address as a company’s address has been extremely traumatic. I am glad that we have now solved this problem with the 12,600 or so companies that we have taken action on, which is a good start, and we expect more to continue. I appreciate the anecdote.