Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Commission about changing the Windsor Framework and removing aspects of EU law from Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is focused on operating the Windsor Framework so it can safeguard Northern Ireland's place in our Union. The new arrangements which came into force on 1 October already disapply swathes of EU law and support the smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We welcome that thousands of new businesses have signed up to use these arrangements.
The Framework also provides a powerful new role for the Northern Ireland institutions, not least with the Stormont Brake. However, we need to see power-sharing back up and running to make use of this significant new safeguard, to further support the effective operation of the Framework.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they propose to take to investigate alleged forceful displacement of thousands of Ukrainian children to Belarus.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is growing evidence, confirmed by the Belarusian authorities and Belarusian Red Cross, that Ukrainian children are being sent to so-called "recreation camps" in Belarus. We are following closely the investigations launched by the Lithuanian and Ukrainian authorities into the nature of these child transfers, and the experience of children while in Belarus, including allegations regarding the political and military indoctrination of Ukrainian children. We call upon Belarus to ensure that no Ukrainian children are forcibly transferred to its territory, and continue to condemn Belarus's facilitation of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, whether the European Court of Justice will have a role in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have accepted that Northern Ireland will, until the people of Northern Ireland vote otherwise, continue to have special access to the EU market. The minimal number of EU laws that remain - less than 3 percent - safeguard maximum free trade and market access for NI firms. That is something businesses have specifically asked us to protect. We have publicly acknowledged the fact that the European Court of Justice is the final arbiter on matters of EU law.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the parts of Article VI of the Acts of Union 1800 that were suspended or modified by the effect of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland will cease to be suspended or modified following the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through the Windsor Framework we have established a new legal framework of democratic consent and control. This ensures the smooth flow of internal UK trade; protects Northern Ireland's place in our Union; and safeguards sovereignty and addresses the democratic deficit in Northern Ireland. These changes ensure that Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom is fully respected, as expressed through the Acts of Union and the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in their modern contexts. And we will underpin this new framework through amendments to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to provide constitutional and democratic guarantees for the people of Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Stormont Assembly Brake in the Windsor Framework can block the application of new EU laws in Northern Ireland in practice.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Stormont Brake enables amended or replaced EU laws to be vetoed and permanently disapplied by the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom already has a veto on new EU laws applying in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what would happen in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework if the UK diverged and changed its regulations from those in the EU.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Windsor Framework safeguards the UK internal market and its core principles of market access. It removes constraints on UK-wide policymaking on alcohol duty, enabling NI to benefit from cuts on the duty on a pint of beer. There is a brand new green lane maintaining UK food safety standards, meaning the same food on supermarket shelves in NI and GB. Medicines will be provided across the UK on the basis of licences from UK authorities. Northern Ireland will now be able to take full advantage of the UK's new trade deals around the world and will remain out of the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy.
Inherent in this new way forward is the prospect of significant divergence between the two distinct economies on the island of Ireland - from food and drink to plants and pets, building on the existing differences in every area of economic and political life such as services, migration, currency and taxation. This will require increased market surveillance North-South in some instances to ensure that there is no abuse of these arrangements to move goods across the international border from Northern Ireland into Ireland, and new requirements on Ireland and other EU Member States to ensure that sensitive products such as food are not moved illegally across that international border.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to transport grain out of Ukrainian silos and into countries on the verge of famine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are urgently working with the UN, the G7 and the international community to explore the best solutions to extract the 25 million tons of grain currently stuck in Ukraine. We continue to work with the Ukrainians and other international partners to find ways to resume the export of grain from Ukraine and to the countries that desperately need it.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to hold the President of Russia accountable for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK also joined 44 others in launching the OSCE Moscow Mechanism fact-finding mission. This investigated human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law by Russia in Ukraine, covering the period 24 February to 1 April, and drew on reporting from open sources as well as interviews with civil society, journalists, refugees and other actors on the ground.
The report, published on 13 April, is the first independent expert report into these issues. It found credible evidence of Russian war crimes, from the torture, rape and killing of innocent civilians to the forced deportation of over 500,000. The UK is determined to hold to account those responsible for these atrocities so this can never happen again.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what further representations they have made to President Xi Jinping regarding China's nuclear activity with Russia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK engages regularly with China on counter-proliferation issues and there is considerable scope for constructive engagement and cooperation. The UK encourages all States Party to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to abide by their obligations and commitments under that treaty, and in particular for nuclear weapon states to take their special responsibilities seriously.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria regarding Christian persecution in that country.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government is concerned by insecurity across Nigeria; this violence is having a devastating impact on affected communities of all faiths and ethnicities. We assess that the principal causes of violence are complex and multifaceted and are often linked to criminality and competition over resources. We continue to urge and support the Nigerian Government to take action to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence and ensure the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.
The Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regularly raises insecurity in Nigeria with the Nigerian Government, including during her visit to Nigeria in February, where she discussed this issue with Foreign Minister Onyeama. During her visit, the Minister held detailed discussions with regional governors, community leaders and religious leaders about the causes of violence. Additionally, on 1 February, the Minister also discussed insecurity with Nigerian National Security Adviser Monguno during the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.
We will continue to make clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all.