Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Nigerian authorities about the continuing captivity of the Chibok girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The UK Government condemns the abduction and continued captivity of children by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) in North East Nigeria. This includes the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, around 90 of whom are understood still to be missing. At the second UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) dialogue in February, the UK strengthened its commitment to providing mentoring and capacity building support to agencies tackling the threat of kidnap within Nigeria. Through this partnership, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) is working with Nigeria to create a Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAKFC). This will make these agencies and bodies more interoperable with one another and create a more joined up approach when future incidences of kidnappings occur.
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’.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the differences in effect of the application of the entirety of the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Act 2024 in England compared to its partial application in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
Northern Ireland (NI) is in the UK's customs territory and therefore NI traders benefit from UK trade deals including the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The rules of origin within the deal are clear - NI goods are treated the same way as goods from any other part of the UK.
Our analysis is that this trade deal will increase Northern Ireland's Gross Value Added by around £70 million relative to 2019 values. NI exporters will benefit from these new opportunities: Well over 99% of UK goods exported to CPTPP member countries, including goods from Northern Ireland, will be eligible for zero tariffs.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the disapplication in respect of Northern Ireland of provisions under sections 2 and 4 of the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Act 2024.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
Northern Ireland (NI) is in the UK's customs territory and therefore NI traders benefit from UK trade deals including the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The rules of origin within the deal are clear - NI goods are treated the same way as goods from any other part of the UK.
The Government's analysis is that this trade deal will increase Northern Ireland's Gross Value Added by around £70 million relative to 2019 values. NI exporters will benefit from these new opportunities: over 99% of UK goods exported to CPTPP member countries, including goods from Northern Ireland, will be eligible for zero tariffs.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the commencement of section 45B of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, what export procedures will apply to goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain that are subject to provisions of Union law falling within the second sentence of Article 6(1) of the Windsor Framework, which prohibit or restrict the exportation of goods; what is a practical example of what a business moving a good in this context will encounter in terms of paperwork and checks; when the export procedure will be commenced; and how they plan to apply the procedure if there is no Border Control Post at Cairnryan.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Windsor Framework removes the requirement for export procedures that existed under the original Protocol and the subsequent 2020 agreement on the need for "equivalent information", with such controls only applying to a niche set of goods. Consistent with this, we have now laid domestic legislation under the Safeguarding the Union package that expressly prohibits export procedures applying to goods moving Northern Ireland to Great Britain, restoring our unfettered access safeguards. Detailed guidance on the treatment of relevant goods where exceptions apply is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the commencement of section 45B of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, what export procedures will apply to goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain that are placed under the export procedure within the Union in accordance with Title V and Title VIII of Regulation (EU) 952/2013, what is a practical example of what a business moving a good in this context will encounter in terms of paperwork and checks; when the export procedure will be commenced; and how they plan to apply the procedure if there is no Border Control Post at Cairnryan.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Windsor Framework removes the requirement for export procedures that existed under the original Protocol and the subsequent 2020 agreement on the need for "equivalent information", with such controls only applying to a niche set of goods. Consistent with this, we have now laid domestic legislation under the Safeguarding the Union package that expressly prohibits export procedures applying to goods moving Northern Ireland to Great Britain, restoring our unfettered access safeguards. Detailed guidance on the treatment of relevant goods where exceptions apply is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the commencement of section 45B of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, what export procedures will apply to goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain that do not exceed 3,000 euros in value and are packed or loaded for export shipment within the Union, in accordance with Article 221 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2447, what is a practical example of what a business moving a good in this context will encounter in terms of paperwork and checks; when the export procedure will be commenced; and how they plan to apply the procedure if there is no Border Control Post at Cairnryan.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Windsor Framework removes the requirement for export procedures that existed under the original Protocol and the subsequent 2020 agreement on the need for "equivalent information", with such controls only applying to a niche set of goods. Consistent with this, we have now laid domestic legislation under the Safeguarding the Union package that expressly prohibits export procedures applying to goods moving Northern Ireland to Great Britain, restoring our unfettered access safeguards. Detailed guidance on the treatment of relevant goods where exceptions apply is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications for EU State Aid approval have been made in respect of Northern Ireland since February 2023.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel
The Government has notified three measures to the European Commission for approval with respect to Northern Ireland since February 2023. Two of these schemes have been or will be applied UK-wide. The third is a Northern Ireland agricultural subsidy scheme, resulting from the benefit and freedom of no longer being part of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which existing provisions of EU law listed in Annex 2 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland can be subjected to the Stormont Brake procedure.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The scope of EU legislation that can be subject to the Stormont Brake is set out in the Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2024. The Government welcomes the restoration of Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions so that this important democratic safeguard can now be exercised.