Lord Dodds of Duncairn

There would be clear risks to medicine supplies to patients in the absence of 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, such as those proposed by the Government in its Command Paper of 21 July.

Beyond the Protocol itself, which outlines in its annexes the EU law that applies to Northern Ireland, the Government has not so far published any further material regarding rules applied by the Protocol.

The Government’s Command Paper [CP 502] published on 21 July sets out alternative proposals for the basis on which EU law might apply in Northern Ireland, potentially involving the Northern Ireland institutions. This could have a significant effect on the visibility of new rules applied in Northern Ireland and how they are brought into force in UK law.

Pending agreement on this potential new settlement, it is entirely right that people in Northern Ireland should be able to be fully aware of the law applying where it derives from EU acts which are not the subject of specific domestic legislation to transpose them into UK law. We will consider the best way of enabling this. We continue to urge the EU to ensure that there is proper notice of such legislation and that appropriate information is provided through the structures established by the Withdrawal Agreement.

As to the bodies established under the Protocol, in line with commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach deal, representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive are invited to attend all Joint Committee and Specialised Committee meetings as part of the UK delegation when the Irish Government are attending. Representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive also form part of the UK delegation at the Joint Consultative Working Group.

Beyond the Protocol itself, which outlines in its annexes the EU law that applies to Northern Ireland, the Government has not so far published any further material regarding rules applied by the Protocol.

The Government’s Command Paper [CP 502] published on 21 July sets out alternative proposals for the basis on which EU law might apply in Northern Ireland, potentially involving the Northern Ireland institutions. This could have a significant effect on the visibility of new rules applied in Northern Ireland and how they are brought into force in UK law.

Pending agreement on this potential new settlement, it is entirely right that people in Northern Ireland should be able to be fully aware of the law applying where it derives from EU acts which are not the subject of specific domestic legislation to transpose them into UK law. We will consider the best way of enabling this. We continue to urge the EU to ensure that there is proper notice of such legislation and that appropriate information is provided through the structures established by the Withdrawal Agreement.

As to the bodies established under the Protocol, in line with commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach deal, representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive are invited to attend all Joint Committee and Specialised Committee meetings as part of the UK delegation when the Irish Government are attending. Representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive also form part of the UK delegation at the Joint Consultative Working Group.

Beyond the Protocol itself, which outlines in its annexes the EU law that applies to Northern Ireland, the Government has not so far published any further material regarding rules applied by the Protocol.

The Government’s Command Paper [CP 502] published on 21 July sets out alternative proposals for the basis on which EU law might apply in Northern Ireland, potentially involving the Northern Ireland institutions. This could have a significant effect on the visibility of new rules applied in Northern Ireland and how they are brought into force in UK law.

Pending agreement on this potential new settlement, it is entirely right that people in Northern Ireland should be able to be fully aware of the law applying where it derives from EU acts which are not the subject of specific domestic legislation to transpose them into UK law. We will consider the best way of enabling this. We continue to urge the EU to ensure that there is proper notice of such legislation and that appropriate information is provided through the structures established by the Withdrawal Agreement.

As to the bodies established under the Protocol, in line with commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach deal, representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive are invited to attend all Joint Committee and Specialised Committee meetings as part of the UK delegation when the Irish Government are attending. Representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive also form part of the UK delegation at the Joint Consultative Working Group.

The Levelling Up unit has been established to produce the Levelling Up White Paper, working closely with Neil O’Brien MP (PM’s Levelling Up adviser) and departments.

Strengthening the Union is at the heart of this agenda and the White Paper will be informed by engagement across the UK nations, working with departments, including the Territorial Offices. The Unit has and will continue to engage with representatives from the local government sector and with all other relevant stakeholders across the public, private and third sectors.

The UK Government has been engaging regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Subsidy Control Bill, at official and ministerial level. BEIS officials have met with Northern Ireland Executive officials 23 times since September 2020. BEIS Ministers have also met with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers 6 times since September 2020. The primary purpose of these discussions has been to discuss the detail of the Subsidy Control Bill, and to invite feedback from Northern Ireland Executive Ministers and officials. We are committed to continuing our close engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive, including as the Bill passes through Parliament.

The safety of all those who attend sporting fixtures is a priority for the government. We fund the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) whose purpose is to ensure sports grounds are safe for everyone. While it is the responsibility of individual clubs and venue owners to take the necessary steps to put in place reasonable protection for spectators at events, the SGSA provides support to minimise risk and help deliver safe events. It does this by setting high standards for safety in its internationally-renowned Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, and through its expert team of inspectors who provide first-rate advice across all areas of sports grounds safety to individual clubs and grounds.

Additionally, the SGSA enforces the Government’s all-seater policy by issuing annual licenses to all grounds of clubs in the Premier League and Football League along with Wembley and the Principality Stadium. Under the Football Spectators Act 1989, the clubs of these grounds are unable to admit spectators without a licence issued by the SGSA.

Following incidents of public disorder at the UEFA EURO 2020 finals held at Wembley on 11 July, all key local partners and expert bodies, including the FA, UEFA, City Hall, the Metropolitan police, local authority and SGSA are investigating the events that took place in and around the stadium to ensure that robust plans are in place to prevent a recurrence.

We regularly engage with the Northern Ireland Executive, as well as the other Devolved Administrations, on a range of sporting matters. This includes discussions around a potential UK and Ireland bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup which is being coordinated across the five Football Associations in the UK and Ireland.

The Government will ensure the agreement works for the whole of the UK and takes appropriate consideration of the UK’s constitutional arrangements and obligations. The Government will provide for application of the treaty to all four constituent nations of the UK, taking into account the effects of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.

Ministers and officials from the Northern Ireland Executive receive regular updates on the deal. Northern Ireland exporters will benefit fully from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Around 90% of all goods exports from Northern Ireland to Australia are machinery and manufacturing-based goods, and once in force this FTA will remove all tariffs on UK exports to Australia, which will help further boost Northern Ireland’s exports.

The impact of a second wave of COVID and the need for the Government to respond has impacted on the aviation sector.

The Government has therefore announced through the Global Travel Taskforce, a number of measures to assist the sector to restart over the winter period. This includes the ‘Test to release for international travel’ (TTR) scheme to be launched on 15 December, which will boost consumer confidence in air travel.

Following the successful implementation of these measures, the government will then put forward of its strategic framework for the medium and long-term recovery of the aviation sector.

The Government has announced through the Global Travel Taskforce, a number of measures to assist the sector to restart over the winter period. This includes the ‘Test to release for international travel’ (TTR) scheme to be launched on 15 December, which will boost consumer confidence in air travel.

Following the successful implementation of these measures, the Government will then put forward its strategic framework for the medium and long-term recovery of the aviation sector.

One of the benefits covered by the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill - survivors’ benefits in Industrial Death Benefit - is devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The Department is temporarily delivering them on behalf of the Scottish Ministers under an Agency Agreement which provides that legislative parity must be maintained, of which there are around 300 recipients of these benefits in Scotland. The Secretary of State therefore wrote to the relevant Cabinet Secretary in the Scottish Government ahead of its introduction seeking a decision on whether they would be taking primary legislation in the Scottish Parliament or through a Legislative Consent Motion to allow this Bill to provide the appropriate powers to enable Scottish Ministers to deliver uprating legislation in tandem. The other benefits in the Bill are reserved matters in Scotland.

Social security is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Executive has the power in section 132A of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 to mirror the Up-rating Order in Great Britain made under section 150A (in this case, as temporarily amended). Therefore, the draft Bill does not need to extend to Northern Ireland and no primary legislation is required in Northern Ireland. However, the Northern Ireland Act 1998 sets out that the Secretary of State and the Northern Ireland Minister will seek to maintain a single system of social security, to the extent agreed between them. Officials in the Department for Work and Pensions in Great Britain and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland have therefore been in discussion on the issue.

Social security is a reserved matter in Wales.

The information requested is not available.

Data related to Pension Credit is published at Great Britain level. The latest estimates were published in October 2020 and relate to the financial year 2018/19 and can be found in the “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up” publication in the statistics section of gov.uk.

In the last 5 years the overall benefit expenditure in England and Wales can be found on the table below.

Further detailed information relating to benefit expenditure can be found in our published expenditure tables.

Whilst the publication includes numbers for previous years, changes in recording methodology mean that comparisons cannot be made with years prior to 2018/19.

The Department’s estimates of fraud and error are published annually and are available on line via gov.uk. Fraud and error in the benefits system remains very low, with 96.5% of benefits paid correctly.

The vast majority of benefit expenditure is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent incorrect and fraudulent payments. We are constantly improving our processes and continue to invest in the use of data and analytics to identify fraud and to better target our investigations.

Once rolled out, DWP expects the high-level design of Universal Credit to lead to around £1bn in benefit savings each year from reduced fraud and error.

The Government has had regular meetings with the devolved administrations since April 2021 to discuss the policy of making vaccination a condition of deployment in care homes in England. The devolved administrations are able to choose whether to adopt a similar policy.

We are committed to maintaining parity of access to medicines across the United Kingdom. In circumstances where the approval dates for products in Great Britain and Northern Ireland differ, doctors can prescribe medicines outside of the label in areas of unmet medical need. The General Medical Council provides clear recommendations to physicians on prescribing medicines which they consider is in the patient’s best interest but may not carry the specific indication. We continue to work with colleagues in Europe to ensure that approval for medicines in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are aligned in the future.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency recently authorised a new indication for Tagrisso in Great Britain to help treat early stage non-small cell lung cancer patients. This indication for Tagrisso has been authorised by the European Medicines Agency and can be prescribed to patients in Northern Ireland on the same basis as in Great Britain.

We are continuing to engage with the European Union on the movement of medicines into Northern Ireland, as part of conversations regarding outstanding issues on the Protocol. Whilst these discussions are ongoing, we have not made a full assessment of the impact of the Protocol. However, we remain committed to maintaining the availability of medicines and drugs in Northern Ireland and actively monitor the situation.

We are continuing to engage with the European Union on the movement of medicines into Northern Ireland, as part of conversations regarding outstanding issues on the Protocol. Whilst these discussions are ongoing, we have not made a full assessment of the impact of the Protocol. However, we remain committed to maintaining the availability of medicines and drugs in Northern Ireland and actively monitor the situation.

Iran's decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through. Instead of threatening to return Nazanin to prison Iran must release her permanently so she can return home. The Foreign Secretary raised her case, and the cases of Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz, with Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian on 22 September and 8 November. We continue to engage with Iran at the most senior levels and our Ambassador in Tehran continues to regularly raise our detainees with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ministers hold regular meetings with officials to direct activity across the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office aimed at securing her release.

The Foreign Secretary raised her case, and the cases of Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz, with Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian on 22 September and 8 November. The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa met with Deputy Foreign Minister Bagheri Kani on 11 November. We continue to engage with Iran at the most senior levels and our Ambassador in Tehran continues to raise regularly our detainees with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Her Majesty's Government considers the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue. The UK Government is in regular contact with like-minded partners on our shared priorities.

Her Majesty's Government considers the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue. The UK Government is in regular contact with the US Government on our shared priorities. We underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside the US and other partners in the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' communique in May and G7 Leaders' communique in June.

Entry requirements for EU member states are laid out on the relevant FCDO Travel Advice country page. Border restrictions are a Member State competence and are the decision of the receiving country. As of 12 October, 23 EU member states formally recognise UK vaccine status for purposes of entry. This includes those vaccinated with Pfizer. Entry restrictions will vary from country to country and are liable to change quickly and with little notice: travellers should always ensure they are familiar with the latest restrictions prior to undertaking travel.

For 2022-23, receipts from the increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) will go to the NHS or equivalent in each part of the UK. This builds on existing arrangements whereby a proportion of NICs is legally required to be allocated in this way. From April 2023, there will similarly be a legal requirement to allocate the Levy revenues to health and social care in each part of the UK.

The overall level of funding provided to the devolved administrations will continue to be determined through the Barnett formula, including at the upcoming spending review.

Levelling Up the whole of the UK is a key priority for this government and the responsibility of a wide range of government departments – I understand your question to be referring to the specific Levelling Up Fund announced at Spending Review 2020.

The Levelling Up Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the UK Community Renewal Fund will operate UK-wide, extending the benefits of funding for local priorities across all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland.

As they are UK-wide programmes, they do not result in any Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive or other devolved administrations.

The National Infrastructure Commission is responsible for economic infrastructure across six sectors: transport, energy, digital, water, floods, and waste management. Responsibility for most of these areas, excluding digital connectivity and nuclear energy, is devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Commission will engage with stakeholders in Northern Ireland on these issues as it prepares its second National Infrastructure Assessment. The Commission’s first National Infrastructure Assessment can be found at https://nic.org.uk/studies-reports/national-infrastructure-assessment/.

The UK Government has been unequivocal in its commitment to unfettered access for Northern Ireland (NI) goods moving to the rest of the UK market.

After the Transition Period, under the Government’s phased approach, unfettered access will apply to all goods in free circulation in NI moving directly from NI to GB. This will ensure maximum continuity and avoid disruption.

In order to ensure that this special treatment is available only to Northern Ireland businesses, the Government will introduce an anti-avoidance requirement which will prevent businesses from moving goods via Northern Ireland if they do this in order to avoid paying import duties.

The first phase of unfettered access is intended to be a bridge to a longer-term regime that will focus its benefits on Northern Ireland businesses. The second phase will be introduced in 2021 and is being developed as a result of engagement with Northern Ireland businesses and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Ministers and officials are meeting Northern Ireland businesses regularly to provide clarity on approach and to allow for detailed discussion of proposals related to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

To give the devolved administrations the upfront certainty to plan and deliver their coronavirus response, the UK Government guaranteed they would receive at least £16 billion in additional resource funding this year on top of their Spring Budget 20 funding. This provides at least £2.8 billion of additional funding for the Northern Ireland Executive, £5.0 billion for the Welsh Government, and £8.2 billion for the Scottish Government.

Spending Review 2020 is providing the devolved administrations with £2.6 billion of Covid funding through the Barnett formula in 21-22. This allocates £540 million for the Northern Ireland Executive, £770 million for the Welsh Government, and £1.3 billion for the Scottish Government.

Unexplained Wealth Orders have been granted in four cases to date; all of those have been in England and Wales. No Unexplained Wealth Orders have been granted in Scotland.

It is my intention that the outstanding provisions in the Criminal Finances Act 2017 will be commenced on 28 June 2021. This is subject to Parliamentary approval.

Law Enforcement in Northern Ireland have a range of appropriate and effective powers available to them to recover criminals’ ill-gotten gains.

No formal assessment has been made as to the value of proceeds of crime which have not been seized as a result of the delay in operation of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 to Northern Ireland.

As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA, with no immigration checks whatsoever on the Northern Ireland-Ireland land border. However, everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK immigration framework. The UK does conduct intelligence-led controls on CTA routes, including away from the land border in Northern Ireland. This is to detect those who intend to abuse CTA arrangements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be removed, if they are not lawfully present within the UK.

We also work closely with Ireland to secure the external CTA border, including data sharing and operational co-operation.

As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA, with no immigration checks whatsoever on the Northern Ireland-Ireland land border. However, everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK immigration framework. The UK does conduct intelligence-led controls on CTA routes, including away from the land border in Northern Ireland. This is to detect those who intend to abuse CTA arrangements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be removed, if they are not lawfully present within the UK.

We also work closely with Ireland to secure the external CTA border, including data sharing and operational co-operation.

Although open to all places, to ensure the UK Community Renewal Fund funding reaches the most in need, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain. The UK Community Renewal Fund will prioritise applications that target these 100 places, as well as having a good contribution to strategic fit and delivery / effectiveness. The lead authority of each of the 100 priority places will also receive capacity funding to help them with the required bid coordination and appraisal for that place.

We are taking a different approach to delivering the UK Community Renewal Fund in Northern Ireland, to take account of the different local government landscape in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain. Project applicants in Northern Ireland will submit bids directly to the UK Government for assessment and approval.

We will announce all funding decisions from later this year.

The UK Community Renewal Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches and will invest in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

The UK Government is running a national competition against a fixed national allocation in Northern Ireland, equating to £11 million of funding.  All areas in Northern Ireland are eligible for funding and project applicants should submit bids directly to the UK Government for assessment and approval, by 18 June 2021. The UK Government will issue grant agreements to successful projects in Northern Ireland.

Where appropriate, the UK Government will seek advice from the Devolved Administrations -including Northern Ireland- on shortlisted projects to ensure that the project is deliverable and complementary to other provision.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK in places most in need such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities, and for people who face labour market barriers.

The Fund will operate UK-wide. We will continue to engage the devolved administrations and other key stakeholders as we develop the fund's investment framework and in advance of its publication.

To help local areas prepare over 2021-22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, the government will provide additional funding to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches. We will work closely with stakeholders on how best to use this additional funding to prepare for the introduction of the UKSPF.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK in places most in need such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities, and for people who face labour market barriers. It will operate UK-wide.

The Spending Review recognised that many policy challenges require cooperation across multiple departments. The Government published its Heads of Terms for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund at Spending Review 2020 and to help local areas prepare over 2021-22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, the Government will provide additional funding to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches. Further details will be published in the new year.

The Government remains committed to addressing the legacy of the past in a way that focuses on reconciliation and helping society in Northern Ireland look to the future. Since the publication of the Government’s Command Paper in July, we have engaged bilaterally and multilaterally with stakeholders from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland on our legacy proposals - including political parties, victims groups and other representatives from across the Northern Ireland community.

The Government continues to engage and reflect on the many different perspectives we have heard, while being clear that we will never accept any equivalence between those who perpetrated violence in Northern Ireland, and those who sought to uphold the law or abide by it.

The Government also continues to invest in social development across Northern Ireland, strengthening social cohesion and building stronger, safer communities, including through the £730 million PEACE PLUS programme announced in September 2021 to support economic stability, peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

The Government recognises the positive achievements of Operation Kenova in terms of building relationships with victims and survivors, and helping them to understand the circumstances around what happened to their loved ones.

However, it is clear that with the passage of time, the chances of successful prosecution from even the most robust of investigations is vanishingly small.

That is why, as outlined in the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s oral statement of 14 July and in the command paper published afterwards, the Government wants to move away from a focus on criminal justice outcomes - which is delivering for nobody - and instead focus on effective information recovery and reconciliation measures.

The Government’s proposals are intended to inform ongoing intensive engagement with the Irish Government, Northern Ireland parties and other stakeholders with an interest in this issue. All elements of these proposals - including their practical application - are subject to ongoing consideration and discussion.

The Government do not recognise the concept of a co-legislator. The legislatures for Northern Ireland are the Assembly and the Houses of Parliament. The Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol gives effect to a limited group of technical EU legal rules considered necessary to facilitate trade and the movement of agrifoods.

The Protocol provides for forums in which forthcoming legislation can be discussed, including whether new areas of law should be applied. New pieces of EU legislation that amend or replace acts referred to in the Protocol are notified to the Joint Consultative Working Group. New EU legislation that is within the scope of the Protocol but does not amend or replace acts listed in the Annexes of the Protocol, does not apply unless there is a Joint Committee decision to add the new act.

As set out under Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and published on gov.uk, the following groups linked to Northern Ireland Related Terrorism are proscribed:

Continuity Army Council

Cumann na mBan

Fianna na hEireann

Irish National Liberation Army

Irish People's Liberation Organisation

Irish Republican Army

Loyalist Volunteer Force

Orange Volunteers

Red Hand Commando

Red Hand Defenders

Saor Eire

Ulster Defence Association

Ulster Freedom Fighters

Ulster Volunteer Force

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly meets with NI Executive Ministers about a range of issues, including funding for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme. He met with Executive Ministers on 23 February and on 7 April about this specific issue, and he has written to the NI Executive offering access to NDNA funds that will help the Executive manage the cost of the scheme.

The UK Government welcomes the undertaking given to the Court on 12 April that the Executive will make the necessary funding available to ensure eligible victims receive the payments to which they are legally entitled.

There is nothing now standing in the way of the Executive delivering the scheme as set out in legislation, and we will continue to prioritise supporting the Executive’s delivery of this scheme.