Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Rogan, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Rogan has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Rogan has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has confirmed a response to your written question was initially issued on time, but a technical error prevented it from being published by the 1 December deadline.
The FCDO has assured my office that a new response will be issued in the week commencing 9 January 2023 and the Department will write to you directly with an explanation for the delayed response.
My office will continue to work closely with all departments, including the FCDO, to ensure they conduct regular reviews of their systems and processes to prevent future incidents.
I regret the error and I will be reminding all colleagues at Front Bench of their duty to provide prompt responses to written questions in the House within the 10 day target, as stipulated in the Companion.
Government departments and the devolved administrations, including Northern Ireland, are individual core participants to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, so departments are not able to provide support to them in responding to the Inquiry.
Government departments and devolved administrations make their own decision on whether to apply for core participant status.
A core participant is an individual or organisation that has a specific interest in the work of the Inquiry with a formal role as defined by the Inquiry Rules 2006. Core participants have special benefits in the Inquiry process, including early sight of evidence and the ability to make opening and closing statements and present their position to the Inquiry.
The Prime Minister holds frequent discussions with both President Biden and Prime Minister Albanese on a range of security and defence matters including AUKUS.
The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP was appointed Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, in the Cabinet Office, on 8 February. He will be responsible for realising the opportunities arising from Brexit and increasing the efficiency of government.
A full list of ministerial responsibilities will be published in due course.
The Protocol was agreed at a particular moment as part of a broader deal that delivered on the referendum result, delivered on the democratic will of the British people and took us out of the EU. We hoped that with sensitive handling the Protocol could be made to work, but we always knew there were risks. That is why we included a number of safeguard provisions.
As we now know, the Protocol was not handled sensitively and we are now in a different world. To move on, we need to find sustainable, long-term arrangements that take proper account of the nature of supplies of medicines as an inherent part of the delivery of national health services. As in our Command Paper of 21 July, we propose to remove medicines from the scope of the Protocol in their entirety.
We are working through the detail of the EU’s proposals received on 13 October. We are now in discussions with the EU on their and our proposals to see if the gaps can be bridged and a solution found which delivers the significant change needed.
The Government is working closely with businesses to understand their concerns with the Northern Ireland Protocol. This includes formal meetings through the NI Business Working Group, direct contact with Ministers and engagement across a number of departments. We continue to listen to businesses on this issue and reflect their concerns in ongoing negotiations with the EU, and some of these contacts have covered potential technological solutions in this area.
As I made clear in my statement to the House on 2 February, there is an urgent need to address all outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland and restore confidence. The letter sent to Vice-President Sefcovic by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 2 February, sets out the issues that the UK Government consider must be addressed, including grace periods.
The Government continues to regularly engage and work with stakeholders, including suppliers and hauliers in Great Britain. To assist traders, this Government launched the £200m Trader Support Service in December 2020, providing guidance, training and support for businesses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland on moving goods and any limited processes that may apply. Over 32,000 traders have registered, so far, for this service - including 3,000 hauliers.
In the days immediately following the end of the transition period, we were aware of a small number of traders who temporarily suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland. We are keeping this under review.
COVID-19 remains the main economic pressure being faced in Northern Ireland but the Government continues to monitor the flow of goods into Northern Ireland.
As I made clear in my statement to the House on 2 February, there is an urgent need to address all outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland and restore confidence. The letter sent to Vice-President Sefcovic by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 2 February, sets out the issues that the UK Government consider must be addressed, including grace periods.
The Government continues to regularly engage and work with stakeholders, including suppliers and hauliers in Great Britain. To assist traders, this Government launched the £200m Trader Support Service in December 2020, providing guidance, training and support for businesses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland on moving goods and any limited processes that may apply. Over 32,000 traders have registered, so far, for this service - including 3,000 hauliers.
In the days immediately following the end of the transition period, we were aware of a small number of traders who temporarily suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland. We are keeping this under review.
COVID-19 remains the main economic pressure being faced in Northern Ireland but the Government continues to monitor the flow of goods into Northern Ireland.
As I made clear in my statement to the House on 2 February, there is an urgent need to address all outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland and restore confidence. The letter sent to Vice-President Sefcovic by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 2 February, sets out the issues that the UK Government consider must be addressed, including grace periods.
The Government continues to regularly engage and work with stakeholders, including suppliers and hauliers in Great Britain. To assist traders, this Government launched the £200m Trader Support Service in December 2020, providing guidance, training and support for businesses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland on moving goods and any limited processes that may apply. Over 32,000 traders have registered, so far, for this service - including 3,000 hauliers.
In the days immediately following the end of the transition period, we were aware of a small number of traders who temporarily suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland. We are keeping this under review.
COVID-19 remains the main economic pressure being faced in Northern Ireland but the Government continues to monitor the flow of goods into Northern Ireland.
As I made clear in my statement to the House on 2 February, there is an urgent need to address all outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland and restore confidence. The letter sent to Vice-President Sefcovic by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 2 February, sets out the issues that the UK Government consider must be addressed, including grace periods.
The Government continues to regularly engage and work with stakeholders, including suppliers and hauliers in Great Britain. To assist traders, this Government launched the £200m Trader Support Service in December 2020, providing guidance, training and support for businesses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland on moving goods and any limited processes that may apply. Over 32,000 traders have registered, so far, for this service - including 3,000 hauliers.
In the days immediately following the end of the transition period, we were aware of a small number of traders who temporarily suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland. We are keeping this under review.
COVID-19 remains the main economic pressure being faced in Northern Ireland but the Government continues to monitor the flow of goods into Northern Ireland.
As I made clear in my statement to the House on 2 February, there is an urgent need to address all outstanding issues relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland and restore confidence. The letter sent to Vice-President Sefcovic by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 2 February, sets out the issues that the UK Government consider must be addressed, including grace periods.
The Government continues to regularly engage and work with stakeholders, including suppliers and hauliers in Great Britain. To assist traders, this Government launched the £200m Trader Support Service in December 2020, providing guidance, training and support for businesses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland on moving goods and any limited processes that may apply. Over 32,000 traders have registered, so far, for this service - including 3,000 hauliers.
In the days immediately following the end of the transition period, we were aware of a small number of traders who temporarily suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland. We are keeping this under review.
COVID-19 remains the main economic pressure being faced in Northern Ireland but the Government continues to monitor the flow of goods into Northern Ireland.
1000 jobs were announced at the Summit and work is now underway to deliver a strong legacy from it, with more investments expected as a result, including follow up activity such as the No. 10 hosted venture capital roundtable, aimed at encouraging venture capital investment into Northern Ireland. We also offered support for Joe Kennedy III’s incoming mission to Northern Ireland in October 2023 (US Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland).
My officials regularly engage with the automotive industry to discuss manufacturing opportunities in the UK, including in Devolved Administrations.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has established a safety study to understand the data and evidence of the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters. This includes investigating incidents and taking enforcement action when needed, commissioning research, targeting unsafe products at the border and providing public safety information.
A research project on batteries has been contracted with Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of Warwick University and a centre for innovation in science and technology. This will examine the safety of the lithium-ion batteries within Personal Light Electric Vehicles. The research will be published in due course once completed.
Details of the role and responsibilities of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have not yet been published. They will be published in due course.
On 19th December, the Government announced that all households in Northern Ireland will receive support with their energy bills this winter through a single payment of £600. This is made up of £400 of the Energy Bills Support Scheme and £200 of the Alternative Fuel Payment. This will be delivered through electricity suppliers, with payments starting in January and concluding as soon as is reasonably practicable.
The UK Government has been working at pace with a range of different stakeholders to deliver this support to households in Northern Ireland. BEIS Ministers have engaged in debates and drop-in sessions with MPs to share progress and answer questions.
The Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £700 this winter. This is on top of existing government plans to give all households £400 off their energy bills through the Energy Bill Support Scheme. A comparable scheme to the Energy Bill Support Scheme is being developed to deliver £400 to households in Northern Ireland. Details of how this will run will be announced in the coming weeks and payments will be backdated to October.
The government is working with electricity suppliers to explore how the £100 Alternative Fuel payment could be delivered to homes in NI that use alternative fuels for heating, such as heating oil or LPG, instead of mains gas via electricity bills under a similar delivery model.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.
The UK benefits from diverse sources of gas supply. While we do not have the ability to intervene in international markets, we maintain a working level dialogue with key energy partners such as Norway. In addition to this, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State held a call with his counterpart in Norway, the Norwegian Energy Minister Tina Bru, on 20 September 2021.
The Government has been speaking with businesses regularly regarding shipment of goods to Northern Ireland (NI), including parcel operators and online marketplaces. We have working groups with business where they are updated on the latest guidance and have the opportunity to seek further clarity on operational related issues. Assistance is also available from the Trader Support Service, which guides businesses trading with NI through all import processes at no additional cost.
Furthermore, the Brexit Business Taskforce has held regular meetings between my noble Friend the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office (the Rt. Hon. Lord Frost), other Ministers, and key business sectors.
HMRC held constructive engagement with the postal and parcel industry in the run up to the 31 December 2020 announcement of temporary arrangements for express operators to continue moving the majority of goods with minimal requirements. This engagement will continue for the duration of the temporary arrangements.
The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the procurement process for the redevelopment of Casement Park, including direct engagement with local partners on their funding contributions.
We are working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to make sure that EURO 2028 leaves a lasting legacy across the whole United Kingdom.
His Majesty’s Government is in regular contact with the Scout Association about the incidents that occurred during the World Scout Jamboree.
HM Government has provided significant support in recent years to uniformed youth organisations, including the Scouts. This includes over £16 million so that uniformed youth organisations can recruit more volunteers, tackle waiting lists, and increase the locations able to offer positive activities to young people.
This forms part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home, and opportunities to volunteer. This is supported by a three-year investment of over £500 million in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending with a firm focus on levelling up.
The joint UK / Republic of Ireland bid to host EURO 2028 was submitted to UEFA on 12 April 2023. The bid proposes 10 stadia, with the inclusion of Casement Park in Belfast enabling Northern Ireland to be a prospective host for the tournament, so that local communities can benefit from the considerable socio-economic benefits of hosting an event of this scale.
There has been a long-standing commitment in Northern Ireland, as part of the regional stadium development programme, to redevelop Casement Park – alongside the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park and Kingspan Stadium, which have already undergone improvements. Given the inclusion of Casement Park in the bid, HM Government is working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to ensure that the redevelopment is adequately funded, is delivered in good time, and complies sufficiently with UEFA’s technical requirements.
Sports policy is a devolved matter, and the allocation of funding for stadia is a matter for the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly.
His Majesty’s Government is disappointed by the extent of the BBC’s proposed changes to local radio services. We will be raising this issue with the BBC and wait to hear more from the BBC on how it expects these changes to affect local communities, including the provision of local news and media plurality.
The BBC’s recent announcement will only affect the BBC’s local radio services in England. There should be no impact on BBC Radio Ulster or BBC Radio Foyle.
The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) makes recommendations on Teachers’ Pay and Conditions in maintained schools in England. If my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, agrees to these recommendations they are implemented through the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.
In 2023/24, the government fully accepted the STRB’s recommendations for teachers’ and leaders’ pay awards.
This means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received a pay award of 6.5% this academic year, the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years.
This award also delivered the government’s manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country, with a pay award of up to 7.1% for new teachers outside London.
Teacher pay is a devolved matter in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is not affected by this pay award. Any decisions on pay within the education sector of devolved administrations is a matter for their national governments to decide upon. Departmental officials have regular contact and discussions with their devolved administration counterparts on developments on respective pay and conditions policy.
The department engages with unions regarding pay and other matters throughout the year. Furthermore, all statutory consultees (including unions) have the opportunity to provide written and oral evidence to the STRB and are consulted on the department’s proposals for pay and conditions.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Ministers meet with Cabinet colleagues regularly to discuss a variety of topics.
In March this year, the department published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan. This applies to England only, but the department shared a draft with the devolved administrations ahead of publication, to help build understanding of the proposals.
Recruitment and retention of teachers is a devolved matter. Ministers and officials from the Department for Education regularly engage with the teaching unions and hold UK wide discussions on issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers.
It is for each nation to develop its own recruitment and retention policies to meet local and national need. In England, the department published a recruitment and retention strategy in 2019 which was co-designed with stakeholders, including teaching unions. We regularly and routinely meet with teaching unions to discuss the implementation of our strategy. Engagement with stakeholders, such as teaching unions is a key part of our policy development and delivery processes.
Skills provision is a devolved matter. It is for each nation to develop its own skills policies to meet local and national need. In England, we have introduced a range of skills polices and also published the ‘Skills for Jobs’ White Paper in January 2021, which sets out our blueprint to reform post-16 education and training. It is focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity. By 2030, almost all technical courses will be on employer-led standards, ensuring that the education and training people receive are directly linked to the skills needed for jobs.
Our polices and reforms are aimed at delivering high-quality provision across a range of sectors, including fashion and textiles.
The introduction of T Levels will boost access to high quality technical education for thousands of 16-19 year olds. T Levels in Craft and Design, developed by relevant employers including the British Fashion Council and UK Fashion & Textile Association, will be available for first teaching from September 2023. While T Levels are currently an England only offer, we are exploring the possibility of extending T Levels outside of the English market, giving opportunity to other administrations to benefit from the quality and ingenuity of T Levels where this fits with their overall post-16 provision
We are also committed to supporting more people to benefit from the high quality training that apprenticeships offer, including those at the start of their career or those looking to retrain. The department is responsible for apprenticeships policy in England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding and it is the responsibility of the devolved administrations to decide how they spend this share to fund and operate their apprenticeship programmes.
In England there are currently 54 high quality employer-designed apprenticeship standards available for the creative and design sector, including 6 for fashion related opportunities. As of 3 August, we have introduced a £7 million fund to help employers in England set up flexi-job apprenticeships agencies, to support sectors such as agriculture, construction and the creative industries.
The government is investing £3 billion in the National Skills Fund, which includes £500 million in Barnett funding for the devolved administrations. We have not had any discussions with the devolved nations about a joint approach to broadening skills in the fashion and textiles sectors through the National Skills Fund, but in England, the government is supporting any adult who does not have A level equivalent or higher qualifications, to access over 400 fully funded level 3 courses, with Free Courses for Jobs. The offer includes qualifications that can support adults to progress in the fashion and textiles industry.
The department has provided laptops, tablets and connectivity support to schools and social care services during the COVID-19 outbreak to enable them to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Over the summer, over 220,000 laptops and tablets were provided to allow schools and social care services to support disadvantaged pupils in year 10, children with a social worker, and care leavers.
This term, the department has bolstered this support by providing laptops and tablets to schools where face to face education has been disrupted in order to enable them to support pupils in years 3 to 11. We will have made over 500,000 devices available by the end of the year and invested nearly £200 million to support remote education. The devices and connectivity support are provided to local authorities, trusts and schools. They are best placed to know which pupils need access and are responsible for onward distribution.
The department publishes delivery data periodically. We therefore have two snapshots, summer term as of 27 August and current term as of 23 October.
As of 27 August 2020, 3,016 laptops and tablets had been delivered to Leeds Council and schools. Delivery data reflecting support provided over the summer is published here:
Given that devices for non-maintained schools were provided to academy trusts, and that these can span multiple local authorities, we cannot provide a precise figure for the number of devices received by schools in Leeds during summer term.
Information on the laptops and tablets provided this term to schools, local authorities and academy trusts as of 23 October 2020 is published below. We have delivered 105,508 nationally: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929064/Ad-hoc_stats_note_shipped_data_231020_FINAL.pdf
We will be publishing further delivery data after the end of term.
For deliveries during both the summer and autumn term, the department has allocated a number of laptops and tablets to each school. This term, schools are invited to order from this allocation when face to face education is disrupted.
To arrive at this allocation of devices, the department used data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school. The department expects that pupils’ device needs will be met to some extent by existing school laptops and tablets that the school already owns.
To identify the number of children who require support to access the internet, the department used data on pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, taking into consideration estimations by Ofcom and reflecting that some pupils would already have access to a private internet connection.
Schools, local authorities and academy trusts can request additional devices if their allocation from the department does not meet their needs. These requests can be submitted to covid.technology@education.gov.uk.
The department has provided laptops, tablets and connectivity support to schools and social care services during the COVID-19 outbreak to enable them to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Over the summer, over 220,000 laptops and tablets were provided to allow schools and social care services to support disadvantaged pupils in year 10, children with a social worker, and care leavers.
This term, the department has bolstered this support by providing laptops and tablets to schools where face to face education has been disrupted in order to enable them to support pupils in years 3 to 11. We will have made over 500,000 devices available by the end of the year and invested nearly £200 million to support remote education. The devices and connectivity support are provided to local authorities, trusts and schools. They are best placed to know which pupils need access and are responsible for onward distribution.
The department publishes delivery data periodically. We therefore have two snapshots, summer term as of 27 August and current term as of 23 October.
As of 27 August 2020, 3,016 laptops and tablets had been delivered to Leeds Council and schools. Delivery data reflecting support provided over the summer is published here:
Given that devices for non-maintained schools were provided to academy trusts, and that these can span multiple local authorities, we cannot provide a precise figure for the number of devices received by schools in Leeds during summer term.
Information on the laptops and tablets provided this term to schools, local authorities and academy trusts as of 23 October 2020 is published below. We have delivered 105,508 nationally: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929064/Ad-hoc_stats_note_shipped_data_231020_FINAL.pdf
We will be publishing further delivery data after the end of term.
For deliveries during both the summer and autumn term, the department has allocated a number of laptops and tablets to each school. This term, schools are invited to order from this allocation when face to face education is disrupted.
To arrive at this allocation of devices, the department used data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school. The department expects that pupils’ device needs will be met to some extent by existing school laptops and tablets that the school already owns.
To identify the number of children who require support to access the internet, the department used data on pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, taking into consideration estimations by Ofcom and reflecting that some pupils would already have access to a private internet connection.
Schools, local authorities and academy trusts can request additional devices if their allocation from the department does not meet their needs. These requests can be submitted to covid.technology@education.gov.uk.
The department has provided laptops, tablets and connectivity support to schools and social care services during the COVID-19 outbreak to enable them to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children. Over the summer, over 220,000 laptops and tablets were provided to allow schools and social care services to support disadvantaged pupils in year 10, children with a social worker, and care leavers.
This term, the department has bolstered this support by providing laptops and tablets to schools where face to face education has been disrupted in order to enable them to support pupils in years 3 to 11. We will have made over 500,000 devices available by the end of the year and invested nearly £200 million to support remote education. The devices and connectivity support are provided to local authorities, trusts and schools. They are best placed to know which pupils need access and are responsible for onward distribution.
The department publishes delivery data periodically. We therefore have two snapshots, summer term as of 27 August and current term as of 23 October.
As of 27 August 2020, 3,016 laptops and tablets had been delivered to Leeds Council and schools. Delivery data reflecting support provided over the summer is published here:
Given that devices for non-maintained schools were provided to academy trusts, and that these can span multiple local authorities, we cannot provide a precise figure for the number of devices received by schools in Leeds during summer term.
Information on the laptops and tablets provided this term to schools, local authorities and academy trusts as of 23 October 2020 is published below. We have delivered 105,508 nationally: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929064/Ad-hoc_stats_note_shipped_data_231020_FINAL.pdf
We will be publishing further delivery data after the end of term.
For deliveries during both the summer and autumn term, the department has allocated a number of laptops and tablets to each school. This term, schools are invited to order from this allocation when face to face education is disrupted.
To arrive at this allocation of devices, the department used data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school. The department expects that pupils’ device needs will be met to some extent by existing school laptops and tablets that the school already owns.
To identify the number of children who require support to access the internet, the department used data on pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, taking into consideration estimations by Ofcom and reflecting that some pupils would already have access to a private internet connection.
Schools, local authorities and academy trusts can request additional devices if their allocation from the department does not meet their needs. These requests can be submitted to covid.technology@education.gov.uk.
The Government does not collect data on the quantity of UK produced food sourced by public sector bodies. Defra consulted on proposed changes to the public sector Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services last year and expect to publish revised standards in due course. Proposed changes to data reporting in the public sector supply chain formed part of this consultation.
Under the old Protocol over half of existing UK veterinary medicine product lines supplying Northern Ireland could have been at risk at the end of 2022, which would have had serious consequences for human and animal health in Northern Ireland.
The Windsor Framework removed that cliff edge, with a three year extension. This was important to solve the immediate problem, but the British Veterinary Association are right to emphasise the need for a long-term solution which protects the supply of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland. This is what we are now working on.
Tackling inflation is this government’s number one priority, with a plan to more than halve inflation this year.
Annual food price inflation, reported by the ONS, was 19.1% in April 2023. This was a decrease of 0.1 percentage points on the March 2023 rate. Overall CPI inflation decreased to 8.7% in April 2023 down from 10.1% in March 2023. The rate of food price inflation in the UK equalled the average rate for the EU in March 2023.
The recent high levels of inflation have primarily been driven by higher energy prices and pressures on global supply chains and there are signs those are beginning to ease. Industry analyst expectations are that we are either at or approaching the food price inflation peak, from which point they expect food price inflation to gradually decrease over the remainder of 2023. We will need several more months of data to be confident that the fall this month is a reflection that the peak has already been reached.
While we do not have individual data on food price inflation rates for the devolved nations, we do have some statistics from the Office of National Statistics on differences in average household spend for the different devolved nations. For the year from April 1st 2020 to March 31st 2021, UK households spent on average £64.90 on food and non-alcoholic beverages, compared to £65.50 for England, £62.20 for Wales, £60.10 for Scotland and £70 for NI. As a proportion of total expenditure, this was 11.7% for UK, 11.5% for England, 12.7% for Wales, 12.4% for Scotland and 14.6% for Northern Ireland.
The average impact of food inflation on household budgets within each of the devolved administrations will depend on both the relevant food inflation rate, and the proportion of total expenditure spend on food per household in that region.
The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the current exceptionally high cost of living. To protect the most vulnerable from the worst of cost-of-living pressures, the Chancellor recently announced a package of targeted support worth £26 billion, which includes continued support for rising energy bills.
The operation of checks is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive (as sanitary and phytosanitary checks are a devolved competence). Defra Ministers have written and spoken to Minister Poots about staffing and infrastructure for conducting checks at Northern Ireland points of entry. Defra officials talk regularly to their DAERA counterparts about implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol including operations at points of entry.
We remain fully committed to fixing the problems with the Protocol and to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions. We will continue our intensive talks with the EU in order to resolve these.
Defra is working with PHAs to have new staff (including OVs) recruited and trained in advance of October, and will continue engaging with a number of organisations, including vet providers, to ensure we meet those timelines. PHAs are continuing to recruit OVs in order to train, familiarise and prepare themselves for the changes from 1st October.
The recruitment of veterinary professionals for carrying out veterinary controls and inspections in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. This means that the responsible department is the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (DAERA).
Veterinary controls and inspections do not only take place in ports and airports but include work done on farms and in various types of establishment, including slaughterhouses.
During the month of June 2020 (being typical of the base-line position for calendar year 2020) the number of staff employed by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland to carry out veterinary controls and inspections was in the order of:
- 114 qualified veterinarians,
- 69 qualified meat hygiene inspectors, and
- 27 trainee meat hygiene inspectors.
At that time the number of staff employed in northern Ireland’s ports and airports, and authorised to carry out veterinary controls and inspections and participate in the goods clearance process was of the order of:
- Veterinarians – 1
- Portal Inspectors – 41
Inspectors working in the ports are not meat hygiene inspectors but are portal inspectors who have received training in that specific role. Meat hygiene inspectors are only employed in DAERA’s Veterinary Public Health Programme which delivers the Official Controls in Food Business Operator premises on behalf of the Food Standards Agency for Northern Ireland.
When the grace period provided for by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland expires Northern Ireland the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs currently estimates that the number of staff required to conduct veterinary controls and inspections in Northern Ireland will, in total, approximate to:
- 186 qualified veterinarians,
- 69 qualified meat hygiene inspectors, and
- 27 trainee meat hygiene inspectors.
The most recent estimates for the numbers of staff that will be required to conduct veterinary controls and inspections in Northern Ireland ports and airports, when the grace period provided for by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland expires, is as follows:
- Veterinarians – 72
- Officially authorised portal inspectors – 122
- Officially authorised portal administrative officers – 80
- Industrial grade animal handlers – 12
- Stevedores – 72
- Veterinarians, Portal Inspectors and admin staff - 3
DAERA is on track to spend a total of £16m on personnel, infrastructure and IT systems to the end of the current financial year for the work necessary to carry out the required sanitary and phytosanitary checks at Northern Ireland’s Points of Entry.
The recruitment of veterinary professionals for carrying out veterinary controls and inspections in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. This means that the responsible department is the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (DAERA).
Veterinary controls and inspections do not only take place in ports and airports but include work done on farms and in various types of establishment, including slaughterhouses.
During the month of June 2020 (being typical of the base-line position for calendar year 2020) the number of staff employed by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland to carry out veterinary controls and inspections was in the order of:
- 114 qualified veterinarians,
- 69 qualified meat hygiene inspectors, and
- 27 trainee meat hygiene inspectors.
At that time the number of staff employed in northern Ireland’s ports and airports, and authorised to carry out veterinary controls and inspections and participate in the goods clearance process was of the order of:
- Veterinarians – 1
- Portal Inspectors – 41
Inspectors working in the ports are not meat hygiene inspectors but are portal inspectors who have received training in that specific role. Meat hygiene inspectors are only employed in DAERA’s Veterinary Public Health Programme which delivers the Official Controls in Food Business Operator premises on behalf of the Food Standards Agency for Northern Ireland.
When the grace period provided for by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland expires Northern Ireland the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs currently estimates that the number of staff required to conduct veterinary controls and inspections in Northern Ireland will, in total, approximate to:
- 186 qualified veterinarians,
- 69 qualified meat hygiene inspectors, and
- 27 trainee meat hygiene inspectors.
The most recent estimates for the numbers of staff that will be required to conduct veterinary controls and inspections in Northern Ireland ports and airports, when the grace period provided for by the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland expires, is as follows:
- Veterinarians – 72
- Officially authorised portal inspectors – 122
- Officially authorised portal administrative officers – 80
- Industrial grade animal handlers – 12
- Stevedores – 72
- Veterinarians, Portal Inspectors and admin staff - 3
DAERA is on track to spend a total of £16m on personnel, infrastructure and IT systems to the end of the current financial year for the work necessary to carry out the required sanitary and phytosanitary checks at Northern Ireland’s Points of Entry.
A total of £16m is on track to be spent by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland on infrastructure, IT systems and personnel to the end of the current financial year for the work necessary to carry out the required sanitary and phytosanitary checks at Northern Ireland’s Points of Entry.
The Northern Ireland Office and Department for International Trade are working closely with Northern Ireland partners, including the Executive Office, the Department for the Economy and Invest Northern Ireland, to deliver a trade and investment event in Northern Ireland in 2023. The UK Government and Northern Ireland partners will work together to deliver an event to attract international investment and to showcase Northern Ireland as a great place to live, work and do business.
The UK Government will deliver a trade and investment event to attract international investment and showcase Northern Ireland as a great place to live, work, and do business. The Northern Ireland Office and the Department for International Trade will work together with Northern Ireland partners to maximise the benefit to people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The event will demonstrate the UK Government’s commitment to building on the progress of the Good Friday Agreement and supporting Northern Ireland to achieve its economic potential.
Departmental officials engage with public and private sector contacts from many countries to understand how regulation of e-scooters is being used to integrate micromobility into different transport systems, the challenges this has raised and the solutions that have been developed. The Department also monitors international experience through literature research.
In the UK, e-scooters are treated like any other motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act which means that they are subject to laws requiring them to be built and used safely. The law was not drafted with e-scooters in mind and therefore it is not possible for most e-scooter users to comply with the legal requirements for motor vehicles as set out in this paragraph. As a result, the use of private e-scooters is illegal under current legislation, and enforcement is a matter for the police.
The Department is currently running trials of rental e-scooters in 24 areas across England, including urban areas, to assess their safety and wider impacts. The trials will help us to better understand the benefits of e-scooters and their impact on public space, and help consider options for future regulations for e-scooters.
When parliamentary time allows, the Department intends to create a Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle (LZEV) category that is independent of the cycle and motor vehicle categories. The first beneficiaries of this new system will be e-scooters, which we intend to legalise for private and rental use through secondary legislation. No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters, and we will consult in due course.
My remarks referred to the Short Straits as an example of what is being done to provide sufficient capacity.
Operators are endeavouring to run additional services across different routes, including the short straits and Cairnryan to Larne route, to absorb the demand created across affected P&O routes. For example, Stena are already running an additional vessel on the Cairnryan to Larne route.
My Department is regularly engaging with all relevant operators, to maintain an up to date picture of demand management across sea routes into the UK and between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am aware that officials in Defra are regularly engaging with a wide range of food suppliers, to monitor the supply of food to the UK, including Northern Ireland. Officials across Government are conducting similar engagement with suppliers of other goods.