Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having, or have had, with (1) suppliers, and (2) hauliers, in Great Britain to address any shortfall in goods being delivered to Northern Ireland since 1 January.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
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.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 15 July (HL17173, HL17174, and HL17175), what assessment they have made of the displaying of portraits of the Royal Family in publicly funded buildings in all four nations of the UK.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
No further assessment has been made of how and where portraits of the Royal Family are displayed across the UK.
Civil Servants are free to raise concerns about any issue and should follow their departmental procedures to resolve disputes and grievances. Compensation payments are not routinely paid as part of this process.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures are in place to process any complaint about the display of images of the Royal Family in publicly funded buildings; and what steps they take to determine the level of any compensation paid as a result of such a complaint.
Answered by Lord Young of Cookham
No further assessment has been made of how and where portraits of the Royal Family are displayed across the UK.
Civil Servants are free to raise concerns about any issue and should follow their departmental procedures to resolve disputes and grievances. Compensation payments are not routinely paid as part of this process.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the meeting of the Cabinet in Aberdeen on 24 February, whether they have any plans to hold Cabinet meetings in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Northover
It has been a long-standing practice of successive governments not to disclose in advance the location of Cabinet meetings. However the Noble Peer will recall that Cabinet was last held in Cardiff in July 2011.