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Written Question
Proof of Identity: Digital Technology
Monday 10th November 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed digital ID scheme will be rolled out on the same basis for all parts of the UK.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

From the end of this Parliament, UK employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks when people move jobs.

The Government will work closely with the Devolved Governments throughout all stages of the programme’s development.


Written Question
Republic of Ireland: Identity Cards
Wednesday 5th November 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether workers from the Republic of Ireland will require digital identification cards to work in the United Kingdom when those cards are introduced.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We will ensure our commitments in the Good Friday Agreement, the Windsor Framework and the Common Travel Area are respected and maintained.

We will design this system to help ensure everyone who has a right to live and work in any part of the UK can do so easily and securely.

We are working with our counterparts in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and will continue to engage to ensure the system works for people on both sides of the border.


Written Question
Common Travel Area: Identity Cards
Wednesday 5th November 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the Common Travel Area is maintained for people travelling for work when digital identification cards are introduced.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We will ensure our commitments in the Good Friday Agreement, the Windsor Framework and the Common Travel Area are respected and maintained.

We will design this system to help ensure everyone who has a right to live and work in any part of the UK can do so easily and securely.

We are working with our counterparts in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and will continue to engage to ensure the system works for people on both sides of the border.


Written Question
Republic of Ireland: Identity Cards
Wednesday 5th November 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Ireland about the introduction of digital identification cards.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We will ensure our commitments in the Good Friday Agreement, the Windsor Framework and the Common Travel Area are respected and maintained.

We will design this system to help ensure everyone who has a right to live and work in any part of the UK can do so easily and securely.

We are working with our counterparts in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and will continue to engage to ensure the system works for people on both sides of the border.


Written Question
Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework
Tuesday 4th November 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the items of primary and secondary legislation that have passed through Parliament to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Windsor Framework is implemented in domestic law through a variety of legislative instruments, encompassing both bespoke instruments and provisions integrated into broader legislation. Any compilation of laws would not accurately reflect this fact.

Legislation relevant to the Windsor Framework and the UK’s exit from the European Union can be found on the "legislation.gov.uk" website. The Government will continue to take forward any legislation required in future to give effect to any of our international obligations, in line with usual parliamentary procedure.


Written Question
Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework
Tuesday 4th November 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what primary and secondary legislation is required in the future to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework fully.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Windsor Framework is implemented in domestic law through a variety of legislative instruments, encompassing both bespoke instruments and provisions integrated into broader legislation. Any compilation of laws would not accurately reflect this fact.

Legislation relevant to the Windsor Framework and the UK’s exit from the European Union can be found on the "legislation.gov.uk" website. The Government will continue to take forward any legislation required in future to give effect to any of our international obligations, in line with usual parliamentary procedure.


Written Question
Cardiovascular Diseases: Death
Tuesday 8th April 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many deaths of working age people there have been as a result of cardiovascular disease in each of the past three years.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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


Written Question
Small Businesses: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 8th April 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they have made available to small firms in Northern Ireland who receive goods from Great Britain to ensure a smooth flow of trade.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.


Written Question
Imports: USA
Wednesday 26th March 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether imports from the United States of America to Northern Ireland which are not in transit to the European Union will be subject to EU trade defence measures.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.


Written Question
Imports: USA
Wednesday 26th March 2025

Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that imports from the United States of America to Northern Ireland which are not in transit to the European Union do not have tariffs applied at the rate prescribed to the EU.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.