Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 6 November (HL Deb col 1487) which indicated that the Windsor Framework (agreed in February 2023) negates the need to remove the legal duties on Ministers to promote an all-Ireland economy, why a commitment to remove those duties was therefore included in paragraphs 114–16 of the Command Paper Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021), published in January 2024.

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

I refer the Noble Lord to the reply given to QWA HL2354 tabled by Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee and published on 15 November 2024.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much revenue they expect to raise by imposing VAT on independent school fees; and how they have calculated that estimate.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Applying VAT to private school fees will raise £1.7 billion a year by 2029/30, rising from £1.5 billion in the first full year of the policy.

The Government published the policy costing for this change at the Budget, including setting out the assumptions and methodology.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has certified the costing, including the assumptions and methodology.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 27 November (HL Deb col 684), whether it is still their position that there are two distinct economies on the island of Ireland as set out in the Windsor Framework command paper, published in February 2023 (CP 806).

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

The Government is clear that Northern Ireland’s constitutional place is in the Union. The Government remains fundamentally committed to protecting Northern Ireland’s place within the economically vital UK internal market and ensuring its smooth operation in practice, which is affirmed through the Windsor Framework. In doing so, we also recognise that many businesses in Northern Ireland trade with Ireland and that this trade brings benefits and opportunities overall.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the remarks by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 27 November (HL Deb col 684), whether Ministers have ceased to be subject to any legal duties to promote an all-Ireland economy.

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

Section 10(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 contains duties on Government Ministers to have due regard to the Joint Report between the UK and EU negotiators of October 2017. That report makes reference in general terms to, among other things, the ‘all-island economy’, alongside a range of other considerations relevant to Brexit. In practice, the report’s contents have been superseded by the internationally binding arrangements under the Windsor Framework and wider Withdrawal Agreement.

Found: The Chair noted the correspondence received fr om Lord Hain, Lord Lexden, Lord Dodds, Lord Empey and