Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Navantia UK about the role of the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast in delivering the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Navantia’s purchase of Harland and Wolff is a significant investment into the UK’s industrial base and demonstrates Navantia UK’s (NUK) continuing commitment to the UK. This investment will further strengthen UK capability, modernising the shipbuilding facilities in Belfast and leading to increased productivity and capacity.
NUK’s delivery of the Fleet Solid Support contract and the provisions within are delivering against key aspects of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, including greater UK content and build, inward investment, engagement with SMEs and shipyard recapitalisation.
The National Shipbuilding Office is committed to working with the whole shipbuilding industry, including NUK, in supporting jobs and sustaining and growing our shipbuilding sector across the UK.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland following its agreement of a new funding package for community pharmacies in England.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL). As the Community Pharmacy Contract is being funded from within existing Department for Health and Social Care’s budgets, there will be no additional Barnett consequentials for the devolved governments. The Barnett formula has already been applied to funding previously allocated at the Budget in October 2024 and Phase 1 of Spending Review 2025 for 2025-26.
The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023, and the next version of the Block Grant Transparency will be published in due course.
The Northern Ireland Executive’s 2025-26 Spending Review settlement is the largest settlement in real terms of any since devolution and ensures that the Northern Ireland Executive continues to receive over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 25 March (HL5539), how many people will be employed at ports in Great Britain to facilitate non-commercial pet movements under the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme, and what estimate they have made of the cost.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK authorities will be available to support and assist those travelling under the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme. The scheme will enable travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a simple lifelong pet travel document. We expect that the vast majority of people will comply, and the Government will be providing comprehensive support to those travelling with their pets to ensure they can do so. In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, the UK authorities will be undertaking checks to ensure that GB pet owners hold a valid pet travel document and that their pet is microchipped to mitigate against abuse of the scheme and disease risks.
In order not to undermine that approach, as is the case across the UK, we do not disclose the specific number of staff undertaking, or the nature of, interventions made by UK authorities. Facilitating these activities, including staffing, equipment and infrastructure, will cost an estimated £3.4 million over financial years 25/26 to 26/27 inclusive.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what benefits the £1.6 billion contract with Thales Air Defence Limited in Belfast to supply 5,000 missiles to Ukraine will bring to the Northern Ireland economy.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The deal to increase production at Thales is a vote of confidence in Northern Ireland's valuable defence sector and we want to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits fully from increases in defence expenditure in the UK. The deal will also provide a major boost to the UK economy, creating 200 new jobs and supporting 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) the Republic of Ireland, (2) Austria, and (3) Switzerland, about what financial contributions these countries intend to make to protect the security of Europe.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Minister of State for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories regularly engage with their counterparts in Ireland, Austria and Switzerland on a variety of issues including security in Europe. Security remains a priority for the UK and through regular engagements with partners the Government is keen to ensure this remains the case.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with the European Union about amending the Windsor Framework to allow Northern Ireland consumers to buy plants from online retailers in Great Britain.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith at the same time as seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement with the EU. Under the Windsor Framework, the Northern Ireland plant health label (NIPHL) allows growers and traders to move certain products to Northern Ireland without the need for a Phytosanitary Certificate, giving Northern Ireland consumers access to plants and seeds from Great Britain.
We continue to work closely with the horticultural sector, including through a Horticulture Working Group which meets regularly, in order to maximise opportunities for trade in plants and plant products within the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that DeepSeek poses to UK national security.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI Security Institute (AISI) tests the capabilities of advanced AI systems, wherever they come from, and whether open or closed, to assess any risks they may pose to our security.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards agreeing a trade deal with the United States.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK-US trading relationship is already worth around £300 billion, supporting over a million jobs and representing 17% of total UK trade. This government's priority is economic growth and increasing trade with international partners is a major part of that. The Prime Minister had a warm call with President Trump on 26 January where they discussed trade and the economy and agreed to meet soon for further discussions.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making in agreeing a trade deal with Canada.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State met with his Canadian counterpart Trade Minister Mary Ng at the G7 in July last year; they discussed the paused bilateral FTA and agreed that senior officials should begin discussions to see if there could be a pathway to resuming negotiations.
Minister Alexander met with Minister Ng twice since then, including in Vancouver last November where they agreed that these discussions should continue, and they remain ongoing. Meanwhile, the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement remains in force, facilitating approximately £27 billion in bilateral trade.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) legal, and (2) diplomatic, considerations relevant to establishing direct flights from the United Kingdom to Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus may designate Ercan as an international customs airport and grant permission for flights. It has not done so. This means that no direct air services between the north of Cyprus and the UK can take place as it would be contrary to the UK’s obligations under the Chicago Convention.
A just and lasting settlement on the island is the best chance of resolving these complex issues. The UK’s commitment to helping the sides achieve this remains unwavering.