Became Member: 16th November 2022
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These initiatives were driven by Lord Weir of Ballyholme, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Weir of Ballyholme has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Weir of Ballyholme has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the Government will ensure the interests of small businesses are embedded into our Industrial and Trade Strategies, as part of a comprehensive approach to delivering on our economic growth mission. The Windsor Framework established a broad set of arrangements to support Great Britain-based businesses to move goods to Northern Ireland, including to small businesses based in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme reduces checks and administrative burdens on retail agrifood movements. The Northern Ireland Plant Health Label scheme removes unnecessary costs and enables previously prohibited goods to enter Northern Ireland. The first stage of the UK internal market scheme was implemented in 2023, and ensures thousands of businesses can move goods without being subject to customs duties. Businesses can also use the Customs Duty Waiver Scheme to waive any duties entirely, regardless of the destination of the goods, subject to an overall limit. The Government works closely with industry stakeholders and trade associations on the implementation of these arrangements and will continue to do so.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Lord Weir of Ballyholme
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
26 March 2025
Dear Lord Weir of Ballyholme,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths of working age people there have been as a result of cardiovascular disease in each of the past three years (HL6089).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish regular statistics on deaths in England and Wales. These statistics are based on information recorded when deaths are certified and registered. They are based on when the death was registered rather than when it occurred. The number of deaths registered in England and Wales over 2021 to 2023 where the underlying cause was cardiovascular disease, and the deceased was aged 16-64, can be found in Table 1.
Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was cardiovascular disease in England and Wales, aged 16 to 64, deaths registered 2021 to 2023.
Year | Deaths |
2021 | 18,554 |
2022 | 18,869 |
2023 | 19,094 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Any death assigned an underlying cause of death using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes I00-I99 was included. This will include deaths where the underlying cause was ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and cerebrovascular diseases. Further information on the definition can be found on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website1 .
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
1 https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en#/IX
Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom customs territory and internal market. We are looking closely at the retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU and any impact these might have on Northern Ireland businesses.
Under the Windsor Framework, where US imports into NI do not subsequently enter the EU, traders can reclaim any additional duties through the Duty Reimbursement Scheme in full without any limit on total claims.
Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom customs territory and internal market. We are looking closely at the retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU and any impact these might have on Northern Ireland businesses.
Under the Windsor Framework, where US imports into NI do not subsequently enter the EU, traders can reclaim any additional duties through the Duty Reimbursement Scheme in full without any limit on total claims.
Since Storm Éowyn made landfall, His Majesty’s Government’s focus has rightly been on making sure that requests for support in response to its impacts across the UK, were managed quickly and effectively and delivered to whichever part of the UK they were required. It is too early to say what the financial costs of the impacts of the Storm have been.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Lord Weir of Ballyholme
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
29 January 2025
Dear Lord Weir of Ballyholme,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the financial quantity of trade for businesses dealing with chemical products between Northern Ireland and Great Britain (HL4282).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published interregional trade in goods and services between UK regions at the International Territorial Level 1 (ITL1) geography, by grouped industry for the years 2019 and 2020[1]. The ONS do not currently publish interregional trade estimates for the chemical manufacturing industry, however this industry is estimated as part of the manufacturing industry interregional trade estimates. The manufacturing industry may not capture all businesses dealing with chemical products as industry allocation is based on the main activity of the business and so there will be businesses not in the manufacturing industry that purchase or sell chemical products.
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) also publish exports and imports between Northern Ireland and Great Britain between businesses in the manufacturing industry[2]. Variations between the ONS’s and NISRA’s estimates are due to methodological differences.
The ONS data on interregional trade within the manufacturing industry between Northern Ireland and Great Britain can be found in Table 1. NISRA data on trade within the manufacturing industry between Northern Ireland and Great Britain can be found in Table 2.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Interregional total trade, trade in goods and trade in services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, manufacturing industry, exports and imports, 2019 and 2020.
£ million, current prices
Year | Total Trade | Trade in Goods | Trade in Services | |||
Exports | Imports | Exports | Imports | Exports | Imports | |
2019 | 4346 | 2830 | 4193 | 2464 | 153 | 366 |
2020 | 4272 | 2527 | 4140 | 2232 | 132 | 295 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Table 2: NISRA trade in goods and trade in services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, manufacturing industry, exports and imports, 2016 and 2023.
£ million, current prices
Year | Total Trade | Trade in Goods | Trade in Services | |||
Exports | Imports | Exports | Imports | Exports | Imports | |
2016 | 8363 | 2504 | 8234 | 2140 | 129 | 364 |
2017 | 5473 | 2685 | 5331 | 2308 | 142 | 377 |
2018 | 4462 | 2933 | 4305 | 2490 | 157 | 444 |
2019 | 4346 | 2833 | 4193 | 2465 | 153 | 368 |
2020 | 4630 | 2434 | 4502 | 2065 | 128 | 369 |
2021 | 5924 | 2494 | 5304 | 2175 | 621 | 319 |
2022 | 6591 | 3207 | 6386 | 2823 | 205 | 384 |
2023 | 6784 | 3312 | 6661 | 2948 | 122 | 364 |
Source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
On 8 May the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States.
We have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef – with UK farmers given a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports at a very low tariff rate.
For ethanol, the UK is introducing a quota of 1.4bn litres for the US. We already import a significant amount of ethanol from the US, and this will lead to savings for UK consumers.
This government will continue to act in Britain’s national interest – for workers, for business and for families.
On 8 May, the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump.
We have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef - with UK farmers given a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports at a very low tariff rate. Imports of hormone treated beef or chlorinated chicken remain illegal. Our approach to this trade deal has ensured that agricultural imports coming into the UK meet the highest food standards.
Businesses in Northern Ireland exporting their goods benefit from our free trade agreements just as businesses elsewhere in the United Kingdom do. Businesses exporting from Northern Ireland will therefore benefit from the free trade agreement with India. India originating goods entering Northern Ireland will do so under the terms of the free trade agreement, provided those goods are not at risk of entering the EU. Northern Ireland businesses importing Indian goods can use the schemes established under the Windsor Framework to avoid unnecessary duties, such as the UK Internal Market Scheme or Duty Reimbursement Scheme.
Businesses in Northern Ireland exporting their goods benefit from our free trade agreements just as businesses elsewhere in the United Kingdom do. Businesses exporting from Northern Ireland will therefore benefit from the free trade agreement with India. India originating goods entering Northern Ireland will do so under the terms of the free trade agreement, provided those goods are not at risk of entering the EU. Northern Ireland businesses importing Indian goods can use the schemes established under the Windsor Framework to avoid unnecessary duties, such as the UK Internal Market Scheme or Duty Reimbursement Scheme.
For goods from the UK to be eligible for tariff-free access upon import into the EU, they must originate from the UK or EU according to the rules of origin of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. We will look closely at the details of the retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU (noting they are currently suspended) and any impact these might have on UK businesses.
The Windsor Framework is not a barrier to trade deals. The United Kingdom has secured trade agreements with 73 countries and territories, plus the EU, while ensuring compliance with the Windsor Framework. These agreements include free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, which entered force on 31 May 2023, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the United Kingdom joined on 16 July 2023, and which came into effect on 15 December 2024.
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. However, we understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with businesses and consumer representatives from across the UK to hear their concerns.
The updated GPSR largely formalises the reality of how many businesses are already operating and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact in practice. However, we understand that for some businesses, the regulation will require changes, and we take any concerns extremely seriously.
We have issued guidance, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely within the UK and with the EU. We have regular discussions with businesses and consumer representatives from across the UK to hear their concerns.
We have set out in the Action Plan, which was developed by Matt Clifford, our intention to deliver growth across the UK, working with local stakeholders to devise strategies suited to the UK’s regions. We are committed to working in partnership with regional and local authorities on AI Growth Zones. We are already working with devolved administrations and local authorities across the UK, and will continue to do so, to ensure all parts of the UK benefit from the investment in critical AI infrastructure.
Most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use through our existing expert regulators. In response to the Plan, the government will support regulators evaluate their AI capabilities and understand how these can be strengthened. It will also encourage pro-innovation approaches by regulators, with the new Regulatory Innovation Office playing an important role.
Supported by DCMS, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is running the For Evermore Tour, with more than 250 mobile exhibitions and events across the UK and a number of global commemorative sites to the Pacific, highlighting the stories of those who fought in the Second World War.
CWGC has confirmed the Tour will visit Northern Ireland in June and is in the process of confirming venues at Stormont and Carrickfergus to coincide with the week leading up to and including National Armed Forces Day.
We are in active discussions with senior members of the US administration and we are clear that the deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual benefits to both countries. This is a fluid situation, and we will continue to take a calm and steady approach.
We are engaging closely with industry and we are absolutely committed to ensuring our film and TV sector can continue to thrive and create good jobs across the UK.
The BBC publishes information about the number of licences in force in its Annual Report and Accounts. For the years 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 there has consistently been approximately 4,000 monochrome licences in force.
This Government, and the previous one, has engaged extensively with a wide range of stakeholders as the policy set out in the Football Governance Bill has developed over the last 3 years. This includes engagement with UEFA.
These discussions have been constructive, and we continue to speak to the relevant football authorities on a regular basis.
In the 2014/15 academic year, across all levels and modes of study, 127,135 higher education (HE) student enrolments had an EU permanent address immediately prior to study in a UK HE provider.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency has not yet published data on the UK HE sector relating to the 2024/25 academic year, therefore information relating to enrolments in 2024/25 is not currently held by the department.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. These data are shared with the department and include a wide range of information on students in UK HE providers.
HESA has not yet published data on the UK HE sector relating to the 2024/25 academic year, therefore information relating to tuition fees in 2024/25 is not currently held by the department.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development, which is why the department includes milk within its healthy breakfast examples for the newly launched early adopter breakfast clubs.
The school food standards require lower fat or lactose reduced milk to be available to children who want it during school hours, which includes any time during a school session or a break between sessions. Section 512ZB (3) of the Education Act 1996 sets out the requirement that milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for free school meals.
Any milk provided during breakfast clubs does not substitute for current provision of free or subsidised mid-morning milk, as breakfast clubs take place before the start of the school day.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development, which is why the department includes milk within its healthy breakfast examples for the newly launched early adopter breakfast clubs.
The school food standards require lower fat or lactose reduced milk to be available to children who want it during school hours, which includes any time during a school session or a break between sessions. Section 512ZB (3) of the Education Act 1996 sets out the requirement that milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for free school meals.
Any milk provided during breakfast clubs does not substitute for current provision of free or subsidised mid-morning milk, as breakfast clubs take place before the start of the school day.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Too many families still tell the government that the cost of school uniform remains a financial burden. That is why we are legislating to limit the number of expensive branded items of uniform and physical education kit that schools can require.
Based on previous department surveys of parents, we estimate that the aggregate savings of the new limit on compulsory branded items to parents with children in primary school is around £21 million per year, and for those with children in secondary school is around £52 million per year. We estimate that some families will save over £50 per child on the back to school shop.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) who request it. Overall, the department spent over £1.5 billion on FSM and free milk in 2023/24.
To assist with the cost of providing milk, schools can take part in the voluntary National School Milk Subsidy Scheme run by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In 2023/24, over £2 million was paid out through the National School Milk Subsidy Scheme.
Schools can claim reimbursement from the Nursery Milk Scheme in respect of their pupils aged under five. In 2023/24, the total cost of reimbursements for all settings from the Nursery Milk Scheme was over £54 million.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Section 512ZB(3) of the Education Act 1996 relates to the provision of free milk. Milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for FSM who request it, we do not hold data on the number of children who make such requests. We expect schools to follow their statutory duty around the provision of free milk.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Section 512ZB(3) of the Education Act 1996 relates to the provision of free milk. Milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for FSM who request it, we do not hold data on the number of children who make such requests. We expect schools to follow their statutory duty around the provision of free milk.
Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and a requirement to attend a private school identified through an education, health and care (EHC) assessment are not impacted by the government’s VAT policy. Where a private school place is necessary to support a child with SEN, the local authority will fund it through an EHC plan. Local authorities can reclaim the cost of VAT added to fees for places that they fund through Section 33 of the VAT Act 1994.
Parents may make a choice that their child should attend a private school, but this is a choice like that made by any parent using the independent sector. Where parents have chosen to send their child to private school rather than a local authority deeming it necessary, VAT will apply to fees.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The register of independent schools, publicly available as part of the Get Information about Schools website, shows that 20 private schools, closed between 29 July 2024 and 11 April 2025. Schools are not required to notify the department of planned closures.
No assessment has been made of the number of children displaced, or expected to be displaced, due to independent school closures.
All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place if they need one. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient state school places. The department already works with local authorities to identify pressures and take action where necessary.
The government’s impact note on the removal of eligibility of private schools for business rates charitable relief estimates an extremely limited impact from the business rates policy taking effect, with any movement estimated to represent 0.03% of the total state school pupil population in England. This impact note is attached and can be found here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0129/ImpactNote.pdf.
Removing the eligibility for business rates charitable relief from private schools will raise approximately £140 million per year. Based on average per-pupil spending in England for the 2024/25 financial year, the government expects the revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector as a result of the business rates measure in England to steadily increase to a peak of around £20 million per annum after several years.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Providing free, universal breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity by ensuring that every primary school child, no matter their circumstance, is well prepared with a supportive start to the school day.
Parents and carers can choose to take up the offer, although we encourage schools to promote the offer and drive take-up, particularly within disadvantaged groups.
The early adopter scheme is an important test and learn phase which will inform the national rollout. Through the scheme, the department will monitor delivery and collect data, including on take-up, to build our evidence base.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department is clear on the impact that breakfast clubs can have to support children to arrive at school ready to learn, which is why the government committed in its manifesto to introduce free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary aged pupils. From April 2025, free breakfast clubs will be available in 750 early adopter schools, as part of a test and learn phase in advance on national roll out.
On 24 February 2025, the department published the list of schools that have been confirmed as early adopters of the free breakfast club scheme. The list is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopters-schools-in-the-scheme.
As part of the scheme, around 180,000 children will have access to a free breakfast club, which equates to around 4% of the overall state-funded primary aged school population.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The aim of the early adopter scheme is to test and learn what works in advance of national rollout on breakfast clubs to all primary schools. The schools taking part in the early adopter scheme were therefore selected to be broadly representative of the national picture. Across all primary schools, an estimated 22% have no breakfast club provision at all before school, and the remaining 78% have some provision, according to the 2022 School and College Panel. However, we know that provision is usually charged for or has limitations on the number of children who can attend. This figure will shortly be updated to reflect changes in provision since 2022.
Our new early adopter breakfast clubs are free, open to all pupils in the school, last at least 30 minutes and include food. This will save parents up to £450 per year, meaning more money in their pockets.
Every year, the department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils (reception to year 11) in respect of mainstream state-funded schools in England. The NFF determines how much funding will be available for schools in each local area. The precise sum received by an individual school is then determined by the local formula set by the appropriate local authority.
In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is distributed on the basis of pupil numbers and pupils’ characteristics. In 2025/26, 74.2% (£36.0 billion) of the schools NFF has been allocated through basic entitlement funding, which every pupil attracts. A further 17.8% (£8.6 billion) of all funding has been allocated through additional needs factors based on deprivation, low prior attainment, English as an additional language and mobility. Therefore, the amount of additional funding a school attracts through the NFF for each additional pupil depends on the characteristics of that pupil. For example, in 2025/26, every primary age pupil attracts £3,847 in basic entitlement funding but would also attract an additional £495 if they were entitled to free school meals. The factor values for 2025/26 are attached and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.
Through the dedicated schools grant, we are allocating a national average of £6,466 per pupil in 2025/26 in mainstream schools, compared to £6,330 in 2024/25 (including premises and growth funding). This represents a 2.15% increase per pupil on average in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
As set out in HM Treasury’s government response to the technical note on applying VAT to private school fees and removing the business rates charitable rate relief, the government estimates that approximately 3,000 pupils will move from private schools to state schools in the 2024/25 academic year. The response can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees-removing-the-charitable-rates-relief-for-private-schools.
The government predicts that in the long-term steady state, 37,000 pupils will leave or never enter the UK private school sector as a result of the removal of the VAT exemption applied to school fees. This represents around 6% of the current private school population.
Of those leaving or never entering the private sector, the government estimates an increase of 35,000 pupils in the state sector in the steady state following the VAT policy taking effect, with the other 2,000 either being international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, or domestic pupils moving into homeschooling. This state sector increase represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. This movement is expected to take place over several years. Additionally, the government expects approximately 2,900 pupils will move into state schools in England following the business rates policy taking effect.
As such, the impact on the state education system as a whole is expected to be very small.
Local authorities, devolved governments and schools have processes in place to support pupils moving between schools. Children move between and within the private sector and the state-funded sector every year, for a range of reasons.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines information for England only.
The government supports the teaching of Holocaust education by funding teachers’ professional development in this subject through University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education (CfHE), and the Holocaust Educational Trust’s (HET) Lessons from Auschwitz project, which gives students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. In the 2024/25 financial year, CfHE will receive £500,000 in government funding, match funded by the Pears Foundation, and HET will receive £2.3 million. Funding for 2025/26 has been committed at broadly the same level.
In addition, a further £2 million funding for Holocaust remembrance and education was committed in the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024. This will be used to support the ambition set by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, for all students to have the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. The department is currently exploring how we can support schools to fulfil this ambition.
The government has also committed £7 million to tackle antisemitism in education. £500,000 has already been awarded to the University Jewish Chaplaincy and a £4.15 million procurement is currently being evaluated with delivery commencing from spring 2025. The remaining funding will go towards a future Tackling Antisemitism in Education innovation fund.
As with all programmes, funding for the 2026/27 financial year onwards is subject to the spending review.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will be driven by evidence, from the UK and abroad, and a commitment to high standards for all young people.
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The statutory curriculum for health education requires all pupils in state-maintained schools to be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and the associated risks to physical and mental wellbeing, including smoking, alcohol use and drug taking. This complements content about substances within the national curriculum for science. Schools can teach about the dangers of taking ketamine in these lessons.
In further education (FE) and higher education (HE) the government works through sector bodies and partner organisations.
The government supports activity by universities, sector bodies and other partners to discourage substance abuse by young people in further and higher education and to raise awareness of the harms of illicit drugs.
For HE, Universities UK set up a Drugs Taskforce that published its recommendations in late 2023. The recommendations are attached and available at the following link: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/sites/default/files/field/downloads/2024-06/Enabling-student-health-and-success.pdf. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for their own policies in relation to illegal drugs as the government has no remit to intervene.
In FE the Association of Colleges ‘Take back our Streets’ mission works to educate FE students by hosting charity talks on the dangers of drugs and addiction and works with organisations to build students’ trust and confidence in the police. The ‘Take back our Streets’ mission is available here: https://www.aoc.co.uk/news-campaigns-parliament/mission-accepted/mission-three-take-back-our-streets.
After the summit with the EU on 19 May, the UK and the EU committed to negotiating an SPS Agreement, which will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses, and improving consumer choice.
While we do not expect this Agreement to cover veterinary medicinal products, this remains a priority for Government, and we are committed to safeguarding supply to protect animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland. The Government will be setting out its approach on the supply of veterinary medicines beyond the end of the grace period.
The Government is seeking to negotiate a SPS agreement to help boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. As like-minded partners with similarly high standards, the Government has been clear that an SPS agreement that removes barriers and protects our collective biosecurity and public health will benefit both sides.
It is too early to comment on the outcome of discussions linked to the UK/EU Summit that takes place on 19 May.
In line with the commitments we have made, as we move to our new UK internal market system, we will ensure that the only checks when goods move within the UK internal market system are those conducted by UK authorities as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks. But in order not to undermine that approach, as is the case across the UK we do not disclose the specific number or nature of interventions made by UK authorities.
The UK Government underlines its commitment to ensure the smooth flow of chemical products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. This includes applying a consistent approach to the regulation of chemical products across the whole of the UK where it is necessary to do so.
The following table shows the tonnage of seed potatoes moved in the past five years broken down by seed classification (data from 2020 for Northern Ireland to Scotland is unavailable due to COVID related disruption):
Seed Classification | Northern Ireland to Scotland Quantity (Tonnes) | Scotland to Northern Ireland Quantity (Tonnes) |
Pre basic (PB) | 0 | 826.2 |
Basic (S) | 17.5 | 1415.3 |
Basic (SE) | 0 | 695.7 |
Basic (E) | 0 | 3387 |
Total | 17.5 | 6324.1 |
The government is committed to delivering a transport network which allows disabled people to be able to travel easily and confidently, with dignity and without extra cost. The government expects local authorities and transport operators to make sure this happens, consistent with their legal equalities duties.
On 17th December, the government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill that will give local leaders in England the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people. The Bill includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops safer and more accessible and sets requirements on training for staff on disability-assistance and disability awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers.
The Bill has also been amended so it now provides duties to consult disabled people, to consider the impact of Enhanced Partnership (EP) scheme requirements on accessibility, and to publish Bus Network Accessibility Plans, as well as clarifying that EP scheme requirements can include requirements aiming to improve accessibility.
Disabled people should be able to travel easily, confidently and with dignity. Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London on a variety of issues including accessibility of their network. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and TfL is responsible for managing the London Underground.