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Written Question
Fishing Vessels: Northern Ireland
Friday 4th June 2021

Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether fishing boats based in Northern Ireland have received licences to fish in Irish waters since January 2021; and whether the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland has caused any delay to such licences being issued.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Marine Management Organisation have shared data with the Commission on Northern Ireland vessels wishing to fish in Republic of Ireland waters and is currently waiting for their response. As yet, no Northern Ireland vessels have received licences to fish in the Irish 0-6nm zone.

We do not have any reason to believe that the Northern Ireland Protocol has had an effect on the issuing of licences.


Written Question
Horticulture: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 2nd June 2021

Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland has affected the sale of horticultural autumn bulbs from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Following the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021, EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) rules continue to apply in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol. This upholds the longstanding status of the island of Ireland as a single epidemiological unit, and means that all regulated plants and plant products moving from GB to NI are required to meet the EU’s third country import requirements, including the requirement for regulated goods to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.

As announced in the updated operational guidance for the movement of horticultural goods from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), bulbs or vegetables that have been grown in soil can be sent from GB to NI even if they still have soil attached, while respecting any pest free area requirements.

Under the Government’s successful Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS), businesses moving plants and plant products from GB to NI do not need to pay for the fees associated with inspections and issuance of phytosanitary certificates (PC). The Government announced on 6 April 2021 that MAS will continue to provide traders with advice and guidance via the dedicated MAS helpline and financial support for certain certification costs. The Government will continue to monitor the performance of the scheme and will review it again in three months’ time, to determine how best to provide ongoing support to traders.

Prior to 1 January, data was not collected on the movement of horticultural autumnal bulbs from GB to NI. Although the Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate (PHSI) collect data on the number of bulb phytosanitary applications, comparisons with exports prior to the Northern Ireland Protocol’s implementation cannot be drawn, as consignments of bulbs were not inspected before 1 January 2021.

The Government recognises the importance of this issue and is recording data on the number of PCs issued for regulated plants and plant products, including bulbs, exported to all third countries and for those moved from GB to NI. This enables us to monitor the trade in these goods over time.


Written Question
Dairy Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 9th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of changes to the sale of Northern Ireland dairy milk products in (1) Great Britain, (2) the EU, (3) nations with which the UK has a trade agreement, and (4) nations with which the EU but not the UK has a trade agreement, that will take effect after 31 December.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The UK Government has guaranteed in legislation, via the Internal Market Bill, unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the rest of the UK internal market from 1 January 2021, ensuring that trade from Northern Ireland to Great Britain continues as it does now. That will mean no declarations, tariffs, new regulatory checks or customs checks, or additional approvals for goods from Northern Ireland businesses to be placed on the UK market. The UK Government has also laid a Statutory Instrument, ensuring a continuity of arrangements for goods from Northern Ireland moving directly into Great Britain from 1 January 2021. This will be available only to Northern Ireland businesses.

There will be no change to the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and EU Member States, including Ireland. The EU is obliged under Article 5 of the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP) to guarantee tariff free, frictionless access to the Single Market in any scenario from 31 December 2020.

The NIP ensures that Northern Ireland remains in the UK's customs territory. We will negotiate and deliver trade deals on behalf of the whole United Kingdom. Northern Ireland exporters will therefore enjoy the preferential access we negotiate with trading partners around the world.

As part of the UK's customs territory, after 31 December 2020, Northern Irish producers will no longer be able to access preferential trading arrangements under the EU's free trade agreements. As part of the UK's ability to pursue an independent trade policy, the UK Government has, in under two years, agreed trade agreements with 51 countries that have agreements with the EU. Total UK trade with these countries was worth £144 billion in 2019.


Written Question
Fisheries: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Monday 11th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether fishing vessels from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have reciprocal access to each other's inshore waters; what representations they have made to that government to restore the provisions of the Voisinage Agreement; whether Northern Irish fishing boats have been recently seized by authorities in the Republic of Ireland; and what assessment they have made of whether the seizure of such vessels constitutes a hard border in the Irish Sea.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Voisinage Arrangement between the UK and Ireland provides for reciprocal access to fish in the 0-6nm zone. The arrangement has, however, been suspended by Ireland following a decision by the Irish Supreme Court in 2016. As a result, fishing by Northern Irish vessels within Ireland’s 0-6nm zone is currently not permitted.

The UK has continued to respect the arrangement. The Government has made numerous representations to the Irish Government since 2016 to push for the reinstatement of the arrangement as soon as possible. In particular, Defra’s former Minister of State, George Eustice, met Minister Creed, the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, on 24 March 2018 and wrote to him on 6 June 2018 to reiterate concerns about the suspension of the arrangement by Ireland. The Secretary of State further raised the issue with Minister Creed when they met on 13 June 2018.

On 26 February, two Northern Irish fishing vessels were detained in Dundalk Bay for continuing to fish in the 0-6nm limit of Irish waters while the Voisinage Arrangement is suspended by Ireland. The skippers of the boats appeared in court on 1 March. They have since been released without conviction and the boats returned.

The Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, committed on 1 March to changing the law to restore the status quo to what it was before 2016, and has indicated that he is confident the legislation can be passed quickly. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Minister Creed, has made similar commitments.

The Government is committed to avoiding a hard border and to continue cooperation between Northern Ireland and Ireland over fisheries matters. We welcome the Irish Government’s commitments and stand ready to work with the Irish Government to reinstate a level playing field as quickly as possible for the benefit of all our fishermen.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Republic of Ireland
Tuesday 27th September 2016

Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the value of agricultural produce imported from the Republic of Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

In 2015, according to the latest HMRC data, the UK imported approximately £4 billion of goods relating to food, animal feed and drinks, as detailed in the table below:

UK imports of food, feed and drink from Republic of Ireland, 2015.

SITC

Division

Code

Description

£ million

01

Meat

1 384

02

Dairy

648

03

Fish

38

04

Cereals

285

05

Fruit and Veg

250

06

Sugar

41

07

Coffee, tea, etc.

184

08

Animal feed

188

09

Misc.

653

11

Drink

273

22+S4

Oils

39

Total

3 983

Defra's aggregate 'Food, Feed and Drink' is composed of the following divisions from the Standard International Trade Classification:

01 Meat: meat from cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry, horses etc.

02 Dairy: includes milk, milk products, and all types of eggs.

03 Fish: All types of edible marine life excluding mammals.

04 Cereals: includes rice, wheat, barley, oats, maize etc.

05 Fruit and vegetables: includes fruit and vegetables, nuts (exc. groundnuts), juices, jams, marmalades etc.

06 Sugar: includes sugar and sugar confectionery (exc. chocolate or cocoa), honey and liquorice.

07 Coffee, tea, etc.: includes all types of coffee and tea, cocoa, chocolate and spices.

08 Animal feed: includes hay, fodder, bran, sharps, and all types of pet or animal food.

09 Miscellaneous: includes margarine, sauces, vinegar, soups, yeasts, cooked/stuffed pasta and baby food.

11 Drink: includes alcoholic drinks of all kinds and natural or artificial waters.

22+S4 Oils: includes animal/vegetable oils, fats and waxes; groundnuts (peanuts), soya beans and seeds.

Source: HMRC

© Crown copyright, 2016


Written Question
EU External Trade: Israel
Wednesday 16th December 2015

Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the EU guidelines for labelling products made in Israeli settlements will apply in the UK, and if so, what are the implications for future meetings between the Ambassador of the UK to Israel and representatives of the government of Israel.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The principal feature of the Interpretative Notice issued by the European Commission on 11 November on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 is a recommendation that goods imported into the EU which originate from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories should bear an indication which makes that provenance clear. That recommendation was included in technical advice to UK retailers and importers concerning labelling agricultural produce from the West Bank that was issued by Defra in 2009. We are currently in discussion with other Departments to consider whether revisions need to be made to the 2009 advice in the light of the Interpretative Notice. I do not anticipate that the UK’s bilateral relations with Israel will be affected by the EU’s decision to adopt this Notice, given that we have already had guidance in place for several years.