Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spent in each year since 2020 on communicating information about the processes for conducting trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

UK Government expenditure on supporting trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is not held centrally. The arrangements under the Windsor Framework support a smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, significantly reducing costs for both government and businesses compared to the old Protocol.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they provide to the Commonwealth Games associations in each nation of the UK.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government does not provide direct funding to any of the UK’s Commonwealth Games associations. We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England. In this financial year, Sport England awarded £1.5 million to Commonwealth Games England.

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.

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.

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.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they have provided to An Ciste Infheistiochta Gaeilge, the Irish Language Investment Fund, in each year since it was established.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Irish Language Investment Fund, An Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge, was established by a grant-in-aid of £8 million from the Government in 2010 in connection to the Hillsborough Castle Agreement.

In 2020, the Government announced the provision of an additional £4 million in capital funding to An Ciste as part of the commitments in relation to Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances that were agreed in the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

The Block Grant Transparency publication, which sets out changes to devolved government funding from the 2015 Spending Review onwards in detail, will shortly be updated with changes made at Autumn Budget 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what working groups or committees which include experts from outside the Civil Service they have set up to consider the trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework; how many times each group or committee has met; and what is the membership of each.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market. In furtherance of these commitments and those made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper, the following bodies that include external sector experts have been established:

- Independent Monitoring Panel: Anna Jerzewska, Aidan Reilly and Alastair Hamilton were appointed on 19 September. The Panel has met once under this Government.

- Intertrade UK: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee was appointed as Chair on 19 September. Since that time, work has continued on other preparatory activity necessary to establish the body. It is expected that Intertrade UK will meet for the first time early in the New Year.

- Horticulture Working Group: Members include a range of trade associations and other industry representatives. The Group has met twice under this Government.

- Veterinary Medicines Working Group: Members include a range of industry representatives and technical experts. The Group has met twice under this Government.

The Government has separately indicated its intention to commission an Independent Review of the operation of Articles 5-10 of the Windsor Framework, in accordance with its duties under the law, and will update Parliament in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the levels of overpayments in benefit expenditure by the Department for Work and Pensions in (1) 2022–23, and (2) 2023–24; and what is that as a percentage of overall benefit expenditure.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Levels of fraud and error in relation to benefit payments, as well as levels of overpayments, are outlined here Fraud and error in the benefit system, Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2024 - GOV.UK for 2023/24, and here for the previous year 2022/23: Fraud and error in the benefit system Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2023 - GOV.UK

Please see the requested information in the attached document.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the level of fraud and error in relation to benefits payments by the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the past two years.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Levels of fraud and error in relation to benefit payments, as well as levels of overpayments, are outlined here Fraud and error in the benefit system, Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2024 - GOV.UK for 2023/24, and here for the previous year 2022/23: Fraud and error in the benefit system Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2023 - GOV.UK

Please see the requested information in the attached document.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have provided funds to support trainee schemes operated by the Irish Language Broadcast Fund; if so, what trainee schemes are being operated; and how many people have received training through those schemes.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Irish Language Broadcast Fund was set up in 2004/5 with funding provided to Northern Ireland Screen from the UK Government via the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Since 2011/12, Northern Ireland Screen has received UK Government funding via the British Film Institute.

The Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund was set up in 2011/12 and also receives UK Government funding via the British Film Institute.

The table below sets out the amount of money allocated to both funds since they were established.

Figures for 2004/05 to 2010/11 have been provided by Northern Ireland Screen. Figures for 2011/12 onwards are set out in the British Film Institute’s annual reports and accounts.

As part of the allocations set out above, in May 2021 the Northern Ireland Office announced an extra £2 million in funding to mark the fulfillment of a UK Government commitment in the New Decade, New Approach agreement that was agreed in January 2020 and saw the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive. The extra funding was provided through DCMS and the British Film Institute and was split equally between both funds.

The 2023/24 and 2024/25 figures for Northern Ireland Screen’s funding for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund will be published via the British Film Institute’s annual report and accounts. The British Film Institute’s 2023/24 annual report and accounts will be published in due course.

The Irish Language Broadcast Fund offers several training opportunities for Irish speakers working or aspiring to work in the independent production sector in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Screen is responsible for the allocation of funding to such schemes, and how they are operated.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much money they have allocated to the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund in each year since each of these funds was established.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Irish Language Broadcast Fund was set up in 2004/5 with funding provided to Northern Ireland Screen from the UK Government via the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Since 2011/12, Northern Ireland Screen has received UK Government funding via the British Film Institute.

The Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund was set up in 2011/12 and also receives UK Government funding via the British Film Institute.

The table below sets out the amount of money allocated to both funds since they were established.

Figures for 2004/05 to 2010/11 have been provided by Northern Ireland Screen. Figures for 2011/12 onwards are set out in the British Film Institute’s annual reports and accounts.

As part of the allocations set out above, in May 2021 the Northern Ireland Office announced an extra £2 million in funding to mark the fulfillment of a UK Government commitment in the New Decade, New Approach agreement that was agreed in January 2020 and saw the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive. The extra funding was provided through DCMS and the British Film Institute and was split equally between both funds.

The 2023/24 and 2024/25 figures for Northern Ireland Screen’s funding for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and Ulster Scots Broadcast Fund will be published via the British Film Institute’s annual report and accounts. The British Film Institute’s 2023/24 annual report and accounts will be published in due course.

The Irish Language Broadcast Fund offers several training opportunities for Irish speakers working or aspiring to work in the independent production sector in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Screen is responsible for the allocation of funding to such schemes, and how they are operated.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria, including the actions of Fulani militant groups; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the government of Nigeria's efforts to protect religious minorities from persecution.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa have sought to undermine the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) by attacking those who do not subscribe to their extremist views, including both Christians and Muslims. These incidents are distinct from the ongoing intercommunal violence across Nigeria. The root causes of this intercommunal violence are complex, and whilst religious identity can play a role, so can loss of economic opportunity, competition over land and natural resources. The UK is providing £38 million in programming to Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria supporting locally led solutions in Northern Nigeria to tackle the root causes of this violence.