Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what checks or compliance procedures are required for the movement of agri-intermediate goods or inputs, such as grain for animal consumption, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The arrangements for moving plants and plant products for production, such as animal feed, are set out in detail on the GOV.UK pages covering movements into and out of Northern Ireland. That includes details of the unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods to the whole UK market, as well as the support services available under the Trader Support Service and the Movement Assistance Scheme for movements into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. In relation to these movements, it should be noted that animal feed for use on premises located in Northern Ireland benefits from a wide-ranging sectoral exemption that enables it to be classified as ‘not at risk’.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government which specific legal obligations require them to notify the EU about planned legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
HM Government is required to allow the EU to provide comments on notified proposed technical regulations in accordance with Article 94 of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and the EU.
In discharging this obligation, the notification of planned legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 was circulated to the World Trade Organisation Technical Barriers to Trade Committee on 9th February 2024.
In accordance with arrangements provided in the Windsor Framework notification of the European Commission is also required under Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 Article 11 and Directive (EU) 2015/1535 Article 5(1) in respect of planned amendments to the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.
The EU commission were notified under the Windsor Framework of the planned amendments to the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) on the 8th of February 2024.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic 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 Lord Douglas-Miller on 11 March (HL2836), whether, prior to the UK leaving the EU, seed potatoes could be moved by professional operators in Great Britain directly to Northern Ireland consumers.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Windsor Framework, seed potatoes can now move again from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the terms of the NI plant health label scheme. This means professional operators in Great Britain can send seed potatoes to professional operators in Northern Ireland for commercial growing in Northern Ireland. Once these are planted in Northern Ireland and grown into potatoes for consumption, or used to produce further seed potatoes, they can be sold into Northern Ireland retailers and garden centres for personal use.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have sought to canvass the views of the EU Council of Ministers and MEPs about their readiness to remove those requirements set out by Article 4(3) of EU Regulation 2023/1231 before committing to remove statutory quotas for identity checks pertaining to the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland beyond the red lane.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has been clear that there will be no checks when goods move within the UK internal market system save 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. This is a matter for the UK Government. The Government meets regularly with the European Union to discuss matters under the Windsor Framework and as set out in the Command Paper, we will transition to new arrangements over the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current requirements regarding the re-tagging of livestock born in Great Britain and being moved to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following work with the livestock sector, an easement negotiated by the Government with the European Commission means that cattle, sheep, or goats that already have UK tags that are moving to Northern Ireland from Great Britain do not now need to be reidentified in Great Britain with either a new pair of ‘GB’ tags or have a third ‘GB’ export tag added. Farmers are now able to move them with their existing 'UK' tags. DAERA website guidance advising keepers that these animals had to be identified with GB tags before they are moved to NI has been removed.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, prior to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, seed potatoes could be moved by professional operators to consumers in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have lifted the ban on the movement of seed potatoes - under the Windsor Framework they can now move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the NI Plant Health Label scheme. Currently movements are required to be made between registered professional operators in Great Britain to professional operators in Northern Ireland for commercial growing in Northern Ireland. Once planted in Northern Ireland and grown into potatoes for consumption, or used to produce further seed potatoes, they can be sold into Northern Ireland retailers and garden centres.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government which species of tree are currently prohibited from being moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for planting in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All information on high-risk plants, including the latest information on the plants’ dossiers and those where the bans have been lifted, can be found at the ‘Plant Portal’ on gov.uk. The Government continues to proactively engage with industry to understand where further action is needed and prepare and submit dossiers for scientific assessment.
Through the Windsor Framework, we have already lifted the ban on the most urgent eleven priority species, these being European beech, English oak, Sessile oak, Norway Maple, Japanese maple, Sycamore maple, Field Maple, Crab apple, Common apple, Hawthorn and two types of privet (wax leaf and delavey).
The ban on common hazel will be lifted soon, which will be followed by another seven species that industry has prioritised. We will continue to work with industry to identify further species as needed.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021) on 31 January, whether seed potatoes can now be moved by professional operators in Great Britain to consumers in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Windsor Framework’s Northern Ireland (NI) Plant Health Label scheme, previously banned seed potatoes are once again available to move to NI from other parts of the UK.
Noting the high health status of seed potatoes, they must move between professional operators, which include farmers, growers and gardeners. Once planted in NI, the new crop of seed potatoes can be sold with no restrictions. This reflects long standing arrangements for biosecurity within Great Britain (GB) and NI and the need to protect the high plant health status in NI.
As stated in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, we will engage with the farming and horticultural industry to resolve any remaining issues for the movement of plant products, including seed potatoes, between GB and NI.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic 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 Lord Douglas-Miller on 6 February (HL1687), whether there are current negotiations with the EU on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to securing a long-term sustainable solution ahead of December 2025 that will properly support the flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on an enduring basis.
It remains our priority to find a solution that removes the barriers to supply of veterinary medicines into NI through technical talks with the EU.
The Government is very clear that in all scenarios it is imperative to safeguard the supply of veterinary medicines to NI, and if necessary we will deploy all available flexibilities in line with our legal obligations.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are negotiating with the European Union on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom after 2025.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Windsor Framework agreement has safeguarded the supplies of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to the end of 2025. During this extension to the grace period there will be no changes to the existing requirements on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland and businesses should continue operating as they have done to date.
The Government’s position is clear, there needs to be a long-term and permanent solution which maintains the uninterrupted flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on which so many people and businesses rely. Industry engagement continues to be our core focus over recent months, where we are strengthening and collating further evidence on products at risk.
We remain clear with the EU that any future arrangements must take into account the overwhelming reliance of Northern Ireland on veterinary medicines from Great Britain.