Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (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 current supply of carbon dioxide for food production and preservation; and what steps they are taking to ensure adequate supplies of carbon dioxide.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is actively monitoring the supply of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) which is critical to the UK’s food and drinks sectors. At present, there are no reported shortages of CO2 in the food sector.
The Government has shored up the UK’s critical supplies of CO2 by temporarily restarting the Ensus bioethanol plant in Wilton, Teesside. This will increase short-term UK production capacity and reduce reliance on imports. Defra is working with businesses and other government departments in developing systems to maintain continuity of CO2 supply.
The Government will continue to work closely with industry to monitor supply conditions and ensure that robust contingency arrangements remain in place to protect critical food supply chains.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring forward additional financial assistance and practical support to fishing fleet and processors across the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 19 May 2025, we announced the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund. This new fund will invest £360 million over the next 12 years in the fisheries and seafood sector, and coastal communities, to support the next generation of fishermen and our coastal communities.
We will work with the industry to target investment where it matters most. For example, considering investment in new technology and equipment to modernise our fishing fleet, delivering training and investing in skills to back the next generation of fishers, and promoting the seafood sector to export our high-quality produce across the world.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timeline for implementing the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Prime Minister welcomed President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen and President of the EU Council António Costa to London for a UK-EU Summit on 19 May.
At that Summit we have agreed the parameters for a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement making agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.
We will start talks straight away and want to remove barriers as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to dismantle the border control posts at UK ports, following the publication of Safeguarding the Union in January (CP 1021).
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
SPS facilities have always been necessary under all scenarios, as the Government has made clear, in order to administer red lane checks on goods moving on into the EU. This is reflected in the fact that the plans were brought forward, and the business case for the facilities was being prepared, during the passage of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the UK fishing industry to ensure sustainable management of UK fishing waters and the livelihoods of British fishermen.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
We are ensuring the sustainable management of UK fishing waters and livelihoods of British fishers by developing Fisheries Management Plans and through the £100m UK Seafood Fund, which has provided £3.9m in grant funding to projects in Northern Ireland. This includes a £2.8m project at Portavogie Harbour that will replace and enhance the existing boat cradle and winch.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK is actively enforcing its fishing rights.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it ensures compliance in its fisheries. All fishing vessels in UK waters are required to fish in accordance with UK laws and the conditions of their licences. As control and enforcement is a devolved matter, Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK is actively enforcing its fishing rights.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it ensures compliance in its fisheries. All fishing vessels in UK waters are required to fish in accordance with UK laws and the conditions of their licences. As control and enforcement is a devolved matter, Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of (1) haulage companies, and (2) other organisations involved in the goods supply chain, about recent disruptions to the UK supply networks.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Over recent months the Government, predominantly through the Department for Transport and Defra, has had a sustained dialogue with haulage companies and other organisations involved in the goods supply chain, as well as ministers and officials in the Devolved Administrations. This has included ministerial and industry roundtables, industry summits and tailored workshops.
Through this dialogue, we have been able to strengthen communication between government and industry and discuss issues and solutions, on a range of matters that have the potential to cause disruption to UK supply networks, especially with regard to the supply of food. This includes logistics issues at ports of entry for goods entering the UK, labour shortages across the supply chain (particularly lorry drivers), and the domestic supply of carbon dioxide.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential bilateral fisheries agreement between the UK and Norway.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government's assessment following the conclusions of all fisheries negotiations for 2021 was delivered in a written ministerial statement to both Houses on 10 June.
The UK looks forward to bilateral discussions with Norway this autumn with a view to concluding fisheries arrangements for 2022. We will develop our negotiation priorities based on the scientific advice and will be engaging stakeholders over the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the proportion of goods consignments from the rest of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland that contain agri-food products.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
In 2018, external purchases of all goods (including agrifood) into Northern Ireland totalled approximately £17 billion. Of that total, £10.4 billion (approximately 60%) came from Great Britain.
At present, the Government estimates that agrifood trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland totals approximately £2.5–£3.4 billion per annum.
These two metrics cannot be directly compared, but the Government believes that by value, the proportion of goods consignments from the rest of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland that contain agri-food products could range from approximately one quarter to one third.