Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total cost of building and completing each of the Border Control Posts in Northern Ireland; and what is the estimated date of completion of each one.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are under construction in Northern Ireland at the ports of Belfast, Larne, Foyle and Warrenpoint. Preparations are well underway, and they will be operationally ready by July 2025.
The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £70.7 million up to 28 February 2025, the latest data currently available.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost to date of the construction of each of the border control posts being built in Northern Ireland, including all administrative fees.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are under construction in Northern Ireland at the ports of Belfast, Larne, Foyle and Warrenpoint. Preparations are well underway, and they will be operationally ready by July 2025.
The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £70.7 million up to 28 February 2025, the latest data currently available.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people will be employed at ports in Great Britain to work on monitoring, supervising or implementing the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme for pet animals moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Officials will be available at the GB ports to support and assist those travelling under the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme. To simplify non-commercial pet movements (cats, dogs, including assistance dogs, and ferrets) from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, the scheme will enable travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a simple lifelong pet travel document.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many live animals have been exported for slaughter in each year from 2022 to date from Northern Ireland to (1) countries within the EU other than the Irish Republic, and (2) countries outside the EU.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 19 December 2024 (HL3133), how they anticipate that Northern Ireland officials in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will determine whether a pet owner resident in Great Britain is compliant with the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme upon their arrival in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will work closely with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in operating the Pet Travel scheme, including on issues of compliance and ensuring that those with pet travel documents are able to move without interruption.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how compliance with the Windsor Framework (Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals) Regulations 2024 will be enforced, and by whom.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme requires pet owners from Great Britain to have a microchipped pet and hold a valid pet travel document, this is free to obtain.
Defra staff will provide support to the public when needed on departure from Great Britain to ensure compliance upon arrival in Northern Ireland.
We expect that the vast majority of people will comply and the Government will be providing comprehensive support to those travelling with their pets to ensure they can do so.
However, in rare instances where a pet owner is not compliant upon arrival in Northern Ireland officials from the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will provide further support.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the requirements for owners of pets to apply for a pet travel document when transporting them from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and which body is responsible for setting such requirements.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Pet owners who live in Great Britain will be able to apply online for a free pet travel document online from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
To do so, pets will need to have been microchipped. Microchipping is already a legal requirement in the United Kingdom for dogs, for cats in England since June 2024. Pet owners will also need to confirm they will not use the scheme to travel to the EU.
Northern Ireland pet owners will not be required to hold a pet travel document and will face no checks.
The Secretary of State for Defra, with the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs are the competent authorities for the scheme.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions are in place regarding the non-commercial movement of pet animals within the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme, which will be in place from June 2025, will significantly reduce the burdens associated with the original Northern Ireland Protocol for Great Britain based pet owners. Northern Ireland pet owners will not face any checks and will not be required to hold a pet travel document.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on trade to Northern Ireland from Great Britain of repealing regulation 13 of the Windsor Framework Retail Movement Scheme Regulations 2023 and the powers of the EU in Article 14(5) of the EU regulation 2023/1231.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The Government has now laid the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 before Parliament. These regulations will provide powers for the Government to fulfil the commitments in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper on upholding Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what checks or compliance procedures are required for the movement of agri-intermediate goods or inputs, such as grain for animal consumption, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The arrangements for moving plants and plant products for production, such as animal feed, are set out in detail on the GOV.UK pages covering movements into and out of Northern Ireland. That includes details of the unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods to the whole UK market, as well as the support services available under the Trader Support Service and the Movement Assistance Scheme for movements into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. In relation to these movements, it should be noted that animal feed for use on premises located in Northern Ireland benefits from a wide-ranging sectoral exemption that enables it to be classified as ‘not at risk’.