Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the working group with the Northern Ireland Executive established by the Government under paragraph 157 of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper has met; and to which ministers it reports.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Windsor Framework Working Group committed to in paragraph 157 of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper has met formally three times. It is jointly run by the Cabinet Office and the Executive Office in Northern Ireland. My Rt. Hon. friend Nick Thomas-Symonds MP is the responsible Minister in the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework: Joint Statement, 10 June 2025, what "significant work remains to be done" in the movement of agri-foods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and what are the "pending issues" for that movement of agri-foods.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Windsor Framework simplified the arrangements for moving retail goods (predominantly agri-food) from Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared to that which was required under the original Northern Ireland Protocol.
As part of the deal, agri-food goods for sale in Northern Ireland need to be labelled ‘not for EU’. These requirements have been phased in over time, with the final phase set to be introduced on 1 July 2025.
We remain committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith, and this includes establishing compliance with the requirements of the simplified arrangements. As part of this we are working closely with industry to monitor and improve application of the Framework. This includes supporting business readiness for the next phase of ‘Not for EU’ labelling commencing on 1 July.
In addition, as set out in our Common Understanding, the Government will take forward a new UK-EU SPS Agreement which will further simplify the movement of agri-food goods within the United Kingdom. As a result, we expect there will no longer be a need for SPS paperwork when moving agrifood or plant products and the requirement to label goods ‘not for EU’ will diminish significantly.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework: Joint Statement, 10 June 2025, what further work is required for the deployment of new facilitations in the customs area for freight and parcel movements.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The arrangements for the movement of freight and parcels that were agreed under the Windsor Framework came into effect on May 1, 2025. The UK is now finalising the delivery of certain IT systems and we continue to monitor the progress of the systems to support the functioning of the arrangements as agreed in the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland from the United States of America there has been in each year since 2019.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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 Rt Hon. the Lord Dodds of Duncairn
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
21 March 2025
Dear Lord Dodds,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how much foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland from the United States of America there has been in each year since 2019 (HL5989).
Foreign direct investment positions are the value of stocks of investment at a given point in time. Flows measure the movement of funds received by Northern Ireland from the United States of America during the year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes experimental subnational UK estimates, which currently includes data up to 2021.1.
Further information on Northern Ireland positions, flows and earnings with the United States of America can be found on the ONS website1.
Table 1: Northern Ireland Inward Foreign Direct Investment positions and flows with the United States of America, 2019-20212,3 . £million
Type | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Positions | 3930 | 6472 | 7180 |
Flows | -167 | -300 | 75 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/articles/foreigndirectinvestme ntexperimentaluksubnationalstatistics/2021
2 A negative sign before a value indicates net disinvestment in Northern Ireland.
3 These statistics exclude FDI related to banks, bank holding companies, property and public corporations.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spent in each year since 2020 on (1) the Trader Support Service, (2) the Movement Assistance Scheme, and (3) any other services or schemes providing support and assistance in relation to trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting industry in moving goods smoothly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Support to industry is offered through schemes such as the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) and the Trader Support Service (TSS). The costs of the MAS, TSS and Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS) are set out below:
| FY 2020/21 | FY2021/22 | FY2022/23 | FY2023/24 | FY2024/25 |
MAS | £3.53 million | £9.78 million | £8.75 million | £9.64 million | £8.30 million (up to 30/01/2025) |
TSS | £100.62 million | £148.80 million | £114.68 million | £105.19 million | £73.18 million (up to 30/01/2025) |
DAS | £3.45 million | £13.73 million | £16.6 million | £18.4 million | £15.2 million (up to 28/02/2025) |
In addition to the MAS, TSS, and DAS, the Government awarded £1.4m in grants from the Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme in FY2023/24.
The budget for the MAS currently covers the following FTE staff: 18.5 in Animal and Plant Health Agency, 2.0 in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and 1.0 contractor. The TSS is overseen by HMRC and operated by a consortium led by a private contractor. There are currently 267 FTE staff employed by the consortium. Figures on the number of staff working on the Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme and Digital Assistance Scheme are not available, as these cannot be disaggregated from the wider teams in which they worked.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are employed or contracted to work by (1) the Trader Support Service, (2) the Movement Assistance Scheme, and (3) any other services or schemes providing support and assistance in relation to trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting industry in moving goods smoothly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Support to industry is offered through schemes such as the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) and the Trader Support Service (TSS). The costs of the MAS, TSS and Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS) are set out below:
| FY 2020/21 | FY2021/22 | FY2022/23 | FY2023/24 | FY2024/25 |
MAS | £3.53 million | £9.78 million | £8.75 million | £9.64 million | £8.30 million (up to 30/01/2025) |
TSS | £100.62 million | £148.80 million | £114.68 million | £105.19 million | £73.18 million (up to 30/01/2025) |
DAS | £3.45 million | £13.73 million | £16.6 million | £18.4 million | £15.2 million (up to 28/02/2025) |
In addition to the MAS, TSS, and DAS, the Government awarded £1.4m in grants from the Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme in FY2023/24.
The budget for the MAS currently covers the following FTE staff: 18.5 in Animal and Plant Health Agency, 2.0 in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and 1.0 contractor. The TSS is overseen by HMRC and operated by a consortium led by a private contractor. There are currently 267 FTE staff employed by the consortium. Figures on the number of staff working on the Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme and Digital Assistance Scheme are not available, as these cannot be disaggregated from the wider teams in which they worked.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government in what circumstances the arrangements for the movement from Great Britain to Northern Ireland of medicinal products and medical devices set out in EU Regulation 2023/1182 can be revoked.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
1 January marked the start of the new arrangements for medicines under the Windsor Framework, ensuring that all medicines can be supplied UK-wide in the same packaging under a single UK licence. The new arrangements have resolved the supply risks created by the Northern Ireland Protocol. The UK Government has worked intensively with industry to ensure a smooth transition.
The UK supplied a Written Guarantee to the EU in accordance with Regulation 2023/1182, following receipt of which, the measures came into force on 1 January 2025.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about its negotiations with the European Union on trade.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the other devolved administrations to ensure that every part of the UK benefits from an improved trading relationship with the EU, as part of our wider reset
The Paymaster General and Minister for EU Relations most recently chaired a meeting of the Interministeral Group on UK-EU Relations in December 2024, which was attended by the First Minister and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. The Government will seek to continue this cooperation as the UK-EU reset progresses.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 6 February (HL4532), what are the names of the representatives of (1) the Ulster Farmers’ Union, (2) the National Farmers’ Union, (3) the Horticulture Trades Association, and (4) the businesses, who are members of the Horticultural Working Group.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to question HL4532 on 6th February 2025. To protect the identities of individuals which are not in the public domain, it is not possible to disclose the names of individual members of bodies which are part of the Group.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 28 January (HL4030), what are the (1) names or (2) job titles of the members of the Veterinary Medicines Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The names and affiliations of members of the Veterinary Medicines Working Group are included in the Terms of Reference, which have been deposited in the House of Commons and House of Lords libraries.