Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to accept the European Union's position, as set out in the explanatory memorandum COM(2025) 118 of 24 March, that the European Union's AI Act should be added to the legislation in force in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains a leading AI nation and is currently assessing the content of the European Union’s notification. The substantive provisions of the EU AI Act do not apply in Northern Ireland and would only apply following an agreement at the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.
Any decisions by the UK at the Joint Committee will be subject to the processes set out in Schedule 6B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. We are not obliged to respond to the notification within any set timeframe and will continue to engage with the European Union on this matter.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many drivers were disqualified from driving in (1) 2022, (2) 2023 and (3) 2024 in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the number of disqualifications from driving for each of the years requested. The figures also include disqualifications imposed in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that apply in Great Britain, under arrangements for the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications.
2022 | 134,078 |
2023 | 127,557 |
2024 | 131,628 |
These figures are for Great Britain only. Driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to the economy of aligning the United Kingdom with the requirements of the European Union General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988).
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK enjoys a high level of product safety. The updated GPSR therefore largely formalises the reality of how businesses are already operating across the UK, and many UK businesses will already be going further than many of these requirements.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to British businesses selling to customers in the European Union and Northern Ireland of complying with the European Union General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988).
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. However, we understand that for some businesses, the regulation has required changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
The department has issued guidance for businesses selling to Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review. DBT will continue to engage businesses directly to ensure they are familiar with the guidance and that the Government is supporting them to trade freely across the whole of the UK.
With respect to the EU market, British businesses may wish to contact the Government's Export Support service and the European Commission has also published guidance for businesses.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Livermore on 25 February (HL Deb col 1567), on what basis they calculated that the Brexit deal created new trade barriers on businesses equivalent to a 13 per cent increase in tariffs for manufacturing, and 20 per cent for services.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The figures relating to new trade barriers due to the UK leaving the EU are quoted from the “Big Brexit” report, produced by the Resolution Foundation thinktank.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - 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 5 December (HL2822), whether they have any plans to negotiate a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement which would require the UK to mirror, align with, or otherwise accept EU law in this area.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has been clear that a veterinary / sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. It is also clear that we will not be re-entering the single market or customs union and will not return to freedom of movement. The terms of any SPS agreement with the EU are subject to negotiation.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 2 December (HL2820), whether the Government plans to set out its objectives for the reset negotiation in more detail as was done in February 2020 with the publication of The Future Relationship with the EU, and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government's priority is to reset the relationship with our European friends, including through a broad-based security pact and tackling barriers to trade.
On 2 October, the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission met and released a joint statement on enhancing strategic cooperation.
The Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations is taking forward this work with his counterpart, Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, and we will hold a UK-EU Summit next year to review progress. We are committed to being as open and transparent as possible with Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are negotiating on a draft text for a security partnership agreement with the European Union.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 14 October the Foreign Secretary attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council and agreed with the then High Representative, Borrell, to advance work towards a security partnership. They also agreed that the UK and EU will establish a biannual Foreign Policy Dialogue between the UK Foreign Secretary and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs to enable strategic cooperation on the highest priority issues, with the first meeting in early 2025. In addition, they also agreed to a number of regular UK-EU strategic consultations to sit underneath this on Russia/Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, the Western Balkans and Hybrid threats. We are exploring with the EEAS how we progress this work.
This follows the Prime Minister’s meeting with Commission President von der Leyen on 2 October where the leaders agreed on the importance of the unique relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom and resolved to strengthen ambitiously our structured strategic cooperation on shared global challenges.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are their negotiating objectives for their proposed sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the European Union.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to resetting relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. As part of this reset, we believe the trading relationship can be improved. The UK and the EU are each other's largest agri-food markets; in 2023, 57% (£14 billion) of UK agri-food exports were to EU countries, and 72% (£43.8 billion) of UK agri-food imports were from EU countries. We have said we will seek to negotiate a veterinary/ sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers on both sides.
Asked by: Lord Frost (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are negotiating on a draft text of any kind relating to their proposed sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the European Union.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is not currently negotiating draft text relating to an SPS agreement with the EU.